AIR FORCE RECRUITS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21372, 17 March 1941, Page 4

AIR FORCE RECRUITS

RALLY IN HAMILTON MARRED BY BAD WEATHER After the splendid response in Auckland to the appeal for recruits for the Royal New Zealand Air Force last week, when over 400 young men applied for enrolment, it was hoped there would be a relatively good response at Hamilton today and tomorrow. A well-organised recruiting rally had been arranged, but the very wet weather that set in early this morning marred the proceedings. The Royal New Zealand Air Force selection committee is in Hamilton to interview applicants for enrolment, and may be interviewed at the Winter Show buildings, Ward Street. In Auckland most of the inquiries were for the Royal Air Force, for which recruits were needed mainly for pilots and observers, but the Fleet Air Arm also attracted several applicants.

The Selection Committee comprises Squadron-Leader A. C. MacAthur, M.C., and Lieutenant L. Lidgard, of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Educational Service, Wellington. After the Hamilton interviews have been completed the Selection Committee proceeds to Whangarei on Thursday, Kaikohe on Saturday and Dargaville on Monday, and enlistments will later be received at Paeroa, Tauranga and Rotorua. Peak of Intake Reached “We have only just started our campaign in Hamilton,” said Squad-ron-Leader MacArthur this morning to a Waikato Times reporter, “ but if this is a fair sample of the young men seeking enrolment, we will be more than pleased.” He indicated an attendance of over a dozen men assembled for the preliminary inquiry, and added: “ We will get a good percentage of these fellows, if their medical history is satisfactory. In Auckland there was a good response, and there the type of recruit offering was exceedingly good. If Hamilton’s standard is the same, and I have no reason to doubt it, the provisional quota we have fixed will be exceeded.” Squadron-Leader MacArthur indicated that this present rally for recruits would be the first of several, promoted from time to time, and he added that in New Zealand the organisation for the training of airmen was now complete and the peak of intake for pilots and observers had been reached. That was the reason why recruiting had to be maintained at a constant level. FLIGHT OVER HAMILTON ABANDONED OWING TO RAIN RECEPTION IN BLEDISLOE HALL The persistent rain today caused abandonment of. the flight by a Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron of aeroplanes over Hamilton at midday today in connection with the Air Force recruiting campaign. Similarly, the march through Victoria Street of the Royal Air Force Band, under Flight-Lieutenant H. Gladstone Hill, had to be abandoned. Instead, the band played a programme of bright selection in Bledisloe Hall, where the attendance of over 1000 included a big representation of boys from local schools. The original schedule provided for the band also giving an open-air performance, including a march through the streets, tomorrow afternoon, but this has* had to be abandoned owing to the band being recalled to Auckland to take part in the official welcome being accorded to the United States Navy squadron visiting New Zealand.