WITH THE KIWIS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 272, 17 November 1941, Page 5

WITH THE KIWIS

AIR GROUND STAFFS

AUSTRALIANS' STOUT WORK

MELBOURNE, November 10.

They call them the Kiwis on some of the Australian stations because they never fly, but the ground staffs of Royal Australian Air Force have been doing stout work in this war. A senior officer of the R.AI.F, after a tour of the Middle East, told Ronald Monson, war correspondent: "The achievements of our pilots are already well known. The work of air crews and ground personnel I has not been so widely publicised. Recently Australia sent a large number of aircraft fitters overseas to the R.A.F. Many of these came to the Middle East. They have earned a very good name for themselves wherever they have been sent. Several times I have been asked to send over any more we have got if they are as good as these. I have heard similar expressions of appreciation of other technical tradesmen we have sent over. "It is very gratifying because 1 remember when we undertook to fulfil our quota under the Empire Air Scheme — six-sevenths of all branches to be fully trained in Ausi tralia and one-seventh in Canada— , that there were many who scoffed at [ our ability to do it. "We found we could turn out ; thoroughly competent fitters after ; eight months of intensive training if i they had a certain amount of pre- : liminary training. Our belief proved . correct. They reached their squad- ; rons here after coming direct from • Australia. Another encouraging fact : I learned was that a chap trained in a Wirraway can get straight on with i the job in Tomahawk machines - He agreed with the contention that [ Australia's part in the Empire Air - Training Scheme was not properly appreciated overseas. The majority ' believe that most of our men are : being trained in Canada. Actually :Australia keeps two service flying -jtraining schools filled in Canada 'New Zealand keeps one supplied. .