FINAL CEREMONY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 145, 2 April 1945, Page 5

FINAL CEREMONY

EMPIRE AIR TRAINING PLAN. CHURCHILL EMPHASISES VALUE. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, March 30. Thu end of ihe British Commonwealth air training plan was marked by a ceremony at t he Uplands air station, near Ottawa, when graduates from all live sections of the scheme drawn from all parts of Canada received their wings from the Governor-Gen-eral (the Earl of Athlone). There were graduates present from New Zealand, Australia, Norway. England, Scotland, Poland, France, the Netherlands, the British West Indies, Belgium and Canada. The ceremony was dinged with sadness, reference being made to Commander Brabner and distinguished officials who perished while on the way to attend the closing of the scheme. The. Canadian Air Minister (Mr Colin Gibson) said that although the last class was being graduated this did not mark the culmination of the plan, winch would really end only when victory over both Germany and Japan had been achieved. Among the messages of thanks and congratulations to Canada was one from Mr Churchill, which said: “The quality of the, training had been outstanding, and liad shown itself in the triumphant superiority we have gained over the enemy in every type of air combat. In witnessing the consummation of this fine achievement it is fitting that we should recall the training carried out with equal success though necessarily not on so big a scale, in Australia. New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia, and, of course, the advance training carried out in the United Kingdom, for all parts of the British Commonwealth. All alike have done magnificent. I am glad to learn that though the joint training plan is being wound up, the training in Canada of aircrews from the Unitad Kingdom is to be continued, and I thank the Canadian Government most warmly for this further help.”—British Official Wireless.