IMPORTANT POSTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 46, 23 February 1940, Page 7

IMPORTANT POSTS

N.Z. AIR OFFICERS. • CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. i TO LEAVE AT EABLT DATE » The most important appointments in the Royal New Zealand Air Force since the war began have been approved by Cabinet, according to an announcement made by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. Group-Captain T. M. Wilkes, C.8.E., M.C., A.D.C., is to act as liaison officer in Australia for the Xew Zealand Army and Air Force. Group-Captain Wilkes will leave at an early date, and his duties as Controller of Civil Aviation will be taken over by Flight-Lieutenant L. MBuckeridge, at present his senior assistant. Group-Captain L. M. Isitt has been appointed representative of the Xew Zealand Government on the supervisory board set up to administer the Empire air training scheme in Canada. With him to Canada, also at an early date, will go Mr. B. R. Rae. A brigade major with the 2nd Infantry Brigade in 1916, Group-Captain Wilkes was with the R.A.F. in 1917 and 1918. He was in command of the special expedition to Fiji in 1920. The same year he was appointed General Staff Officer, Air Services, and secretary to the Air Board, and in 1929 went to London as liaison officer. In April, 1937. he received his appointment as Controller of Civil Aviation. In the Great War, Group-Captain L M. Isitt, served first with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and then with the R.A.F. When the Royal Xew Zealand Air Force was formed in 1923, GroupCaptain Isitt was posted to it. He has 'been closely connected with military aviation in this country since its inception. For some time he was in charge of the air base at Hobsonville, until he was moved to air headquarters. He has been air member of the New Zealand Air Board for some vears.