BRITAIN’S DEFENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 247, 31 July 1936, Page 5

BRITAIN’S DEFENCE

AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE NETWORK OF TRAINING CENTRES MEN FROM CIVIL LIFE. (United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 30. The formation of a new volunteer reserve for the Royal Air Force was announced in the House of Lords by the Secretary of Air (Viscount Swinton), who said that tho new force would be open only to men in civil life. The number of pilots irequired annually for the volunteer reserve would be 800. The pilots would receive training at aerodrome centres, which would he established immediately in the vicinity of important towns and areas with large populations. There would bo a network of such centres throughout the country with several in the neighbourhood cf London. Volunteer pilots would he recruited from candidates between the_ age of 18 and 25 years. Baron Strabolgi asked Lord Swinton whether the Air Reserve could include women, many of whom were keen pilots, capable of carrying out certain duties.

Lord Swinton said that surely Lord Strabolgi would not suggest . that women should be included as an immediate reserve for the fighting line. Lord Marley: Why not?

Lord Swinton: I note the Labour member’s suggestion that we should recruit women into the fighting line. I would hesitate a long time before I subscribed to such a proposition, despite women pilots’ fine work. War is sufficiently beastly without adding them to the fighting line. They might efficiently perform air ambulance and similar work. Lord Strabolgi said he was not expressing the Labour Party’s opinion.