EMPIRE AIR FORCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 79, 13 January 1940, Page 6

EMPIRE AIR FORCE.

PREPARATIONS IN CANADA. THE WORK WELL ADVANGED. OTTAWA, January 11. The Australian and New Zealand personnel under the Empire air scheme will reach Canada in June at the same time as the English personnel. Six standardised types of aeroplane, some of which are being built in Canada, will be used — ; the Avro Anson bomber, the North American Harvard, a fleet trainer, the de Haviland Tiger Moth, the Fairey Battle and the Norseman, many of which have already been delivered from English, American, and Canadian factories, with contracts for the remainder well on the way. The erection of hangars and other necessary buildings on the fields designated under the training plan is continuing through the winter. The Royal Canadian Air F n’ce, which has direct charge of the scheme, is rapidly expanding its administrative staff to cope with the problem of handling between 20,000 and 30,00 trainees. Group Captain Banting, of The Royal Air Force, lias arrived from England to assist Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham. They will both shortly undertake a Dominion-wide tour cf inspection of training school sites. A British Official Wireless message states that the nucleus of the staff for the l Empire air training scheme in Canada has been selected and will b ai e for Canada shortly. The officers chosen will include flying instructors, engineers, equipment, and staff officers, to compose the personnel for service at the flying school, aeronautical schools headquarters and other organisations winch will ipake up the scheme.