BIG EXTENSION of British Air Force

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 43, 6 March 1937, Page 5

BIG EXTENSION of British Air Force

-Press A»n.-

^ ESTIMATES TOTAL £28,500,000

One Hundred Squadrons -# By May 1

CHIEFLY BY LOAN

iBy Tel#gr*ph-

-Copyrlehi.)

(Received 6, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Mareh 5. The air Estimates total £82,600,000, of which £26,000,000 come from the defence loan. The Air l ^ Porce on May 1 will comprise one hundred home squadrons, 26 overseas and 20 in the Pleet air arm. The personnel totals 4850 officers and 51,000 men. It is aimed to increase the personnel to a total of 70,000 exclusive of those servIng in India. Squadrons will later consist of 1750 aircraft of firstline strength. The six factories to ^ manufacture engines should be w oompleted in a few months. Flying training is being carried out at 13 civil flying-schools, and the y service schools are being increased from four to eleven. It is proposed to ereate 10 speeial nnits to operate a balloon barrage in eonnection with the defence of London. 0 The civil aviation vote totals m £2,315,000, of which £70,000 is devoted to imptovement of grounds facilitieion Empire routea. Only £5,800,000 from an increase of £31,800,000 ia the Air Estimates will have to "be met by the taxpayer. The defence bill totals % £277,804,000, an increase of £89,000,000, of which £80,000,000 is jpr- coxaing' from the loan. A British Offiical Wireiess adds: In IS Memorandum accompanying the Air Estimates Lord S winton statea that the ^ present scheme of expattsion provides

„ FILMS TO BE MADE * OF THE CORONATION IN WESTM1NSTER (Eeeeived 6, 11.45 a.m.) ■JU LONDCN, Maxch 5. ' Tilm compaaies have been granted full facilities to photograph the Coronation in Westmihster Abbey. ^ for a Metropolitan air force of 124 squadron, of which 100 will have been ^ formed by the end of March. During the summer the number will rise to 324 squadrons, including 20 squadrons of auxiliary air force with an approxittate firSt-line strength 6f 1500 aircraft.

Provisidn is also cnade for increasing th© Meet air arm from 217 to 278 firstline aircraft during the course of fhe year, in eonformity with Admiralty requiremenfs" for aircraft carriers and jeatapult ships. The proviaion for Air Force pay Is ^ - increased by £1,776,000 to' £8,466,000. t ^ Tho Estimates provide that £18,000,€00 shall be spent on land and buildings, including the construction and "y equipment of the "shadow" factories. This is an increase of £8,650,000 over aimilar provision made in 1936-37, but towai (la this expenditure £14,000,000 is to be provxded by loan. ,0 Extensions, either perman,ent or temporary in charaeter, have been carried out at 34 out of 62 aerodromes. Thirifceen additional aerodrome sites are now .Jf; in oceupation and, in addition, five civil 0 aerodromes have been equipped and are being used for service purposes. Work is in progress on another 26 sites and further sites will be acquired during the course of the year. *