NEW COMMANDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 134, 7 May 1940, Page 7

NEW COMMANDS

ROYAL AIR FORCE. TRAINING PERSONNEL. REORGANISATION PLAN. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless./ Received May 7, 1U.47 a.m. RUGBY, May G. The large and rapid expansion of the Royal Air Force lias necessitated tfie reorganisation of training arrangements, • v which will now be divined into two commands—one dealing with flying training and the other technical. Hitherto there liad been two training commands, each of which has undertaken both air and technical instruction. In February, 1939, a separate Reserve Command was formed in order to relieve. the regular Training Command and concentrated special attention on the Royal Air Force •Volunteer Reserve whose training, being on a part-time basis, had to be dealt with on different lines from the whole-time training of the regular Royal Air Force. Full-time training was, of course, assumed by the Volunteer Reserve directly the war broke out, and thereafter the training distinction largely disappeared. . •Moreover, competent authorities point out, it is desirable that the intensive training ol personnel should remain under one command. It has, therefore, been decided to create ; a Technical Training Command under acting-Air-Marshal W- L. Welsh, which will undertake the complete training of the exceedingly large number of highly skilled men required for the maintenance of aircraft and equipment. and a Flying Training Command under acting-Air-Marshal L. A. Patterson, which will be responsible for the training of pilots and air crews.