NEW ZEALAND’S PART

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1939, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND’S PART

IN EMPIRE AIR SCHEME OUTLINED BY MINISTER OF DEFENCE. THOUSANDS OF AIRMEN TO BE TRAINED. •By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. 'file contribution to be made by New Zealand toward the Empire air training scheme was explained by the Minister of Defence in an address lasi night. After stating that the Dominion had set itself an ambitious programme. Mr Jones said that briefly the scheme involved the co-ordination of the training of many thousands of pilots, air observers and air gunners throughout the Empire, as well as I he provision of great quantities of aircraft and other equipment. New Zealand, said the Minister, was to make full use of its own resources to complete as much training as possible within this country. Available personnel in excess of local training resources would complete their training in Canada. Reference was made by the Minister to the financial obligations which New Zealand was undertaking in augmenting the Empire’s air power. He said that New Zealand’s share of the Canadian training scheme would, during the period of agreement, a little over three years, cost about £7.000.000 sterling. In addition the Dominion would be required to meet the cost of its local effort. This was estimated to amount to approximately £5,000,000 in 1939-40. £4.700,000 the following year, and thereafter £3,000,000 a year. Within 15 months it was expected the air personnel in New Zealand would be doubled, and that during the same period the number of New Zealand airmen serving overseas would be nearly trebled. The Dominion’s war effort in the air to date was also discussed by the Minister.

BIG SCALE RECRUITING. An outline of the scheme of training was given by Mr Jones. “The number of personnel which we have undertaken to provide is great deal in excess of the number which was visualised in 1938.” h.e said, “and as a first objective the total men required for training as pilots, observers and air gunners is little short of 10,000. These, of course, will not all be called for or commence training immediately, but will’be enlisted as rapidly as the training organisations can absorb them. The pilots will all receive thqir ground training and elementary training within the Dominion, and the greater proportion will complete their training here. The air observers and air gunners under the new scheme will only do a short ground training course in New Zealand before proceeding to Canada to complete their air training. It will b.e some months, however, before the training establishments in Canada will be ready to receive these men for training, and in the meantime the observers school which commenced training at Ohakea last month will continue training ail' observers and gunners for direct entry into the Royal Air Force. “I would like to pay a tribute to the immense assistance the United Kingdom Government is rendering to us in putting into effect this vast training organisation,” Mr Jones said. “On the equipment side, Great Britain has undertaken to provide free of cost the greater portion of the aircraft and engines for the initiation of the scheme, and has undertaken to make good all wastage replacements and spares for the aircraft and engines originally contributed free.

“Great Britain also offers to provide the necessary instructors to supplement those which can be provided within New Zealand. Not only this, but Britain also pays the cost of pay and allowances and pension at Royal Air Force rates from the date of embarkation for England of all personnel. This represents direct assistance to this country of over £3.000,000. NEW ZEALANDERS SERVING. Having dealt in detail with other aspects of the scheme, the Minister spoke of the New Zealanders who are now serving in the Royal Air Force. In all there were approximately 500 New Zealanders serving overseas today. Some of these served with the Air Force during the last war, and now hold senior appointments. He mentioned particularly Air Vice Marshal T. C. McLean, Air Commodore Park, Group Captain Conningham, and Group Captain Carr. Many left these shores to make their own way to the United Kingdom and offer their services to the Royal Air Force. A full list of these men was not available, but he would mention Squadron Leaders Bennett. Faville. Fear, Shannon, Jarman and Kippenberger; Flight Lieutenants Morrish. Needwill and Piper; and Flying Officers Vicary, Young. Lillburne and Fraser.

Since 1937, some 400 New Zealanders had been selected for service in the Royal Air Force, some for training in New Zealand and some for training in the United Kingdom. These young New Zealanders were now playing their part in Europe. There were also a number of officers and airmen of the Royal New Zealand Air Force serving with the Royal Air Force. These men were in the United Kingdom to collect and fly to the Dominion the Wellington aircraft, which had been ordered for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. These aircraft and their crews were made available to the Royal Air Force on the outbreak of war. New Zealand was represented to a smaller degree in the technical "branches by New Zealand boys who entered the' Royal Air Force as apprentices and were now serving on long-term enlistment. In the last war, New Zealanders achieved an unrivalled reputation in every theatre in which they participated. and in this war there had been gowing reports received of their activities. He had no doubt that, inspired by these achievements, those who followed them would uphold that tradition worthily, and he predicted that, when the history of these troubled times was written and they could live in peace, the names of New Zealanders would occupy an honoured place among the Empire's airmen. Mr Jones offered his personal sympathy to the relatives of all New Zealand airmen who have lost their lives in the present fight for freedom