DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20732, 16 February 1939, Page 9

DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA

AIR FORCE DOUBLED ANNOUNCEMENT BY MINISTER (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Feb. 16, noon', MELBOURNE, Feb. 16 Under plans just completed by the Federal Government the personnel of the Royal Australian Air Force will be nearly doubled in I he next 16 months, the Minister of Defence announced. The Hying personnel of the service at present is 204 officers and 24 airmen pilots. FORCE FOR DARWIN AN EARLIER EMBARKATION NEW METHOD OF TRANSPORT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Feb. 16, noon) SYDNEY, Feb. 16 The Darwin mobile force iias been ordered to embark at Sydney for Darwin on March 9. This is almost two months earlier than expected, although no date of departure had’ been officially announced. The l’oree, which comprises 250 men, will embark on the ships Monloro and Mare I la. It will be the first occasion since Hie war that such a body of troops has left Sydney by sea. FORCE STRENGTHENED ADDITIONS TO SQUADRONS SPECIAL RESERVE SUCCESS (Bv Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLIX GTO X. Wednesday. The Minister in Charge of Aviation, the Hon. F. stated to-day that Cabinet had approved the strengthening of the Wellington Territorial Squadron by the establishment of flights at New Plymouth mid Hastings and Hie strrnglliening of lhe Dunedin TerriHirial Squadron by the establish-lti’-n! <jt h flight ai Invercargill. Approval wa> also given of the strengthening of ihe Auckland and' ChristThe complete success of ihe scheme initiated in 1937 for the training of l ' net w - : t v M Jon, s. who commented upon ‘ the splendid results obtained with regard both to military and vocational training. Men trained numbered 568, 354 were posted to the special territorial coast defence units, *nd 127 selected for permanent employment as regular soldiers or airmen.