AIR REINFORCEMENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1942, Page 3

AIR REINFORCEMENTS

ARRIVALS FROM BRITAIN & U.S.A. ON SUBSTANTIAL SCALE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF DEFENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association j WELLINGTON, This Day. Substantial measures for reinforcing New Zealand with equipment from the Uniled Kingdom and the United States are now in progress, the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, announced last night. He also said that the Empire ait training organisation in New Zealand would now provide a much larger contribution to the new air defence requirements of the Dominion, and that a considerable number of New Zealanders with war and staff experience in Britain and elsewhere was now returning to take their place in the current expansion of the Royal New Zealand Aii' Force. “There has recently been a number of moves of units of the Royal New Zealand Air Force,” Mr Jones said, "and considerable developments have been taking place in .both islands. Naturally I cannot give details of dispositions and developments and I hope that those who are aware of what is taking place in their own localities will remember that such information is useful to the enemy and that they must 'keep it d»rk.’ Hitherto all our air force units have been located at aerodromes, but now, with the increase of our fighting strength, we have found it necessary to find accommodation for ground units in certain centres where suitable accommodation is available.”

The Minister said that the splendid air training organisation which had been built up in New Zealand was part of a much larger organisation. New Zealand had continued to send her quota of partly-trained aircrew personnel to the advanced schools in Canada and the United Kingdom. Without this advanced training the men could not take their place in operational squadrons. Since the outbreak of war with Japan it had, of course, been necessary to modify the Empire air training organisation in New Zealand to some extent and it now provided a much larger contribution to the new air defence requirements of the Dominion. “Very substantial measures are now in progress,” Mr Jones said, “for reinforcing New Zealand with air forces and equipment from the United Kingdom and the United States of America. While these developments are taking place it is right that New Zealand should continue without neglecting her own immediate and urgent requirements to play her part in building up the total air strength of the allied nations in the best way she can. The ever-increasing output of aircraft in the United Kingdom and in America will require very large numbers of trained air crews and while we cannot send away as many men as originally planned, we must not fail to send as many as possible. “Therefore, plans have been made to ensure that we should retain for the defence of New Zealand a proper proportion of New Zealand airmen, but it would be a mistake to suppose that large numbers of semi-trained aircrews could be usefully kept standing by while we build up advanced training schools of our own. “A considerable number of New Zealanders with war and staff experience in Britain and elsewhere,” the Minister concluded, “are now returning to take their place in the current expansion of the Royal New Zealand Air Force as will many of those now undergoing training in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom as they are required in New Zealand.