BOMBING PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 January 1939, Page 5

BOMBING PLANES

THIRTY FOR DOMINION FROM BRITAIN FIRST BATCH TO LEAVE • IN OCTOBER. PILOTS MOSTLY NEW ZEALANDERS. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON, January 7. The New Zealand Government is considering plans as a feature of the Wellington centenary for a spectacular air flight to New Zealand of 30 longrange Vickers Wellington' bombers ordered from Britain.

The planes will leave in formation in batches of five or six as they are completed from June till the end of the summer. The pilots will be mostly New Zealanders terminating their short service commissions in the R.A.F.

The Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, said last night that 30 bombers had been ordered, half for Ohakea and half for Whenuapai aerodromes. He did no think there was any possibility of the- first batch leaving Britain before October, and it might be later than that.

Others would follow as they were ready, but he did not know how long it would be before the full 30 arrived. It was hoped that by then the personnel would be trained and the aerodrome buildings erected. The first planes would probably go to Ohakea, which was expected to be ready first. It was true that most of the planes would be flown by New Zealand pilots terminating short service commissions in the Royal Air Force. The flight would be only incidentally a centenary feature, and had not been planned as such.