GROUND STAFF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 October 1940, Page 9

GROUND STAFF

SELECTION FOR TRAINING. R.A.A.F. DEVELOPMENT. A limited number of Royal Australian Air Force ground staff personnel will be selected for training as members of air crews, states an announcement from the Commonwealth Department of Air. Applicants must have all the qualifications specified for air crew entry under the Empire Air Scheme but for the time being airmen who have received special trade training with the Service will be ineligible for selection. Airmen whose applications are successful will be called up for air crew training probably by May, 1941. An average of 180 fully qualified fitters, flight technicians and riggers are graduating each week from the No 1 Royal Australian Air Force Engineering School at the Melbourne Showgrounds. These men are sent to various Air Force stations and establishments throughout the Commonwealth. The number going out and coming in each week is covered by the progress of training in recruiting depots and technical schools from, which trainees pass on to the Engineering School. There are at present 2.324 trainees at the school.

The full strength of the establishment is over 3,000 which is greater than the number in the whole of the Australian Air Force at the outbreak of the war. It is the finishing school for all engineering trainees no matter from what part of Australia they are enlisted. Preliminary training centres have been established in the various cities.