BRITISH PLANS FOR LARGER FORCES TAKING SHAPE

Grey River Argus, 17 September 1948, Page 5

BRITISH PLANS FOR LARGER FORCES TAKING SHAPE

LONDON, September 15

Britain is working on new civil defence plans, which will operate if the international tension does not ease. It is understood that defence will now be the most important subject at the Commonwealth Premiers’ meeting in London in October.

The British Government’s decision to keep conscripts three more months may be followed soon by an accelerated call-up for military training. The Air Ministry is offering exR.A.F. air-crew and other experienced flyers special conditions for their return or entry to the R.A.F. for eight-year periods, with further career prospects as part of the campaign to build up the flying strength of the service. For experienced pilots and navigators, whether R.A.F. or not, who can begin flying immediately, the upper age limit is raised to 30, and for signallers, engineers and gunners to 34 years. Accelerated training will be given to those who have not flown for some time or who lack experience. The normal age limit in such cases is 25. Men who don’t fit any of these classes, but have ha dsome flying experience, can volunteer up. to the age ° f ~BIG LONDON AIR DISPLAY Two hundred aircraft, comprising Vampires, Hornets, Meteor IVs, Mosquitoes, Spitfires U-S.A.A.i!. Shooting Stars, Lincolns, Lancasters, Halifaxes, U.S.A.A.F. Superfortresses and a lone Hurricane flew over London in an impressive tocommemorate the Battle of Britain tO The in ceremony had an important difference from the nasts The speed of the latest jet aircraft taking part is so much greater than the heavy bombers that ft is no longer possible for the .places to flv in one formation. Therefore 12 groups of planes flew over at four-minute intervals. The aircraft converged on London from widely-separated bases. . ine planes took 48 minutes to complete tht fly-past, which Londoners saw in brilliant sunshine.