N.Z. AIR FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 September 1930, Page 2

N.Z. AIR FORCE

THE NEW STATUS. PERSONNEL OF COMMANDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association). . • ; WELLINGTON, Sfept. 1. The f-creation of the Territorial Branch of the New Zealand Force into a Winp, consisting of four Squadrons, and the promotion of various officers to Wing-Commander and Squadron Leaders took place to-day. Under the new scheme, the Territorial Air Force ceases to be a more or less formless organisations, and becomes an organised body, embracing the whole of the Dominion. The various Squadrons will each have a definite function two being trained for army co-operation work, and the dither two becoming bombing Squadrons.

. The officer commanding the Wins', will 'be Wing-Commander K. L. Caldwell. M.C., D.F.C., who has been raised from the rank of Squadron--I,eader.

The flight Lieutenants, who are the new Squadron-Leaders, are J/ Seahrook, \ .F.C.M.C.. McGregor, D.F.C.N.E. Chandler and P. K. Fowler. • :

No. 1 Squadron will comprise the officersT residing in Auckland and Hawke’s, BaVj having its headquarters at Auckland. It will be an Army Qperatjon Squadron, under the command. of Squadron-Lender Seahrook. No." 2 Squadron will combine Wellington-. and Taranaki, the headquarters being at Wellington, with Squadron-Leader McGregor at the head. It will have a (band of bombers.'■" . '

No. .3 Squadron will have its headquarters- ',a.t Christchurch. under Squadron-Leader Chandler. Like Wellington,' it will be a bombing squadron and will: include pilots in Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Westland. " V'\

, 'No.- 4 Squadron, completing the Wing, will have i+n . centre 'at; Dunedin. It will " be- an --'Army Co-opera-tion i Squadron manned by the Officers of Otago and Southland, with Squadron-Leader Fowler as the Commanding Officer.

•Tt is - hoped; iby the .Defence authorities that the Territorial Air Force will go into Wigrani Aerodrome - for a refresher course at the beginning of next year, l - squadron by squadron. The Various Squadrons are of course divided into Flights and these flights haYe been allotted to towns and cities within the territory of the Squadron of which thev form portion. The details of the distribution and command of units are as follows Q. 0. Territorial Wing: ’WingCommander CaldWtl. : No. 1 Army Co-operation, Squadron • Auckland and Hawke's,.,. Bay provinces with headquarters at Auckland : Squadron-Leader Senbrook. . - j‘*A” ' F,l\ighjb,' Auckland: —FlightLieut. J, D, Hewitt. “B” Flight, Hamilton: —FlightLieut. F. S. Gordon. D.F.O. (<C” Flight, Napier :—Flight-Lieut. P. W, White. No. 2 (Bomber) Squadron, Wellington and Taranaki Provinces, at WellingtonSquad-ron-Leader McGregor. '“A” Flight, New Plymouth:— Flying Officer ,1. H. N. Keith (acting)'." ... ~ ■“B’ 1 Flight, Wanganui:—FngptLieut. S. A. Gibbons. ■/'■(&> Flight, Wellington:—FlightLieiit. G. L. Stednian.

No. 3 (Bomber) Squadron, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Westland, headquarters at Christchurch: — Leader Chandler. “A” Flight, Blenheim: —FlightLieut. D. C.’ Inglis. “B’’ Flight, \ Christchurch:— FlightLieut. W. L. Harrison.

“C” Flight, Tim aru Fl/ightLieut. K. W. J. Hall.. / .No. 4 (Army Co-open-ation) Squadron Otago and Southland, headquarters at DunedinSquadron-Leader Fowler;- “A” Flight, Oamaru; “B” Flight, Dunedin; “C“ Flight, Invercargill. Officers not allotted to units will be posted to the nearest Flight to their places of residence. The New Zealand Air Force will now be similar to the Royal Flying Corps at the commencement of the Great War, i.e. four Squadrons.