PRIORITY QUESTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 199, 23 August 1945, Page 6

PRIORITY QUESTION

ACTION BY HEADQUARTERS

Contrary to general opinion decisions as to the personnel to be demobilised from the Royal New Zealand Air Force are not made by the station staffs but by headquarters of the Air Department in Wellington, said a senior officer to-day, in discussing the system under which men are being released to civilian life.

The Air Force, unlike the Navy and the Army, has its records system centralised, with the result that the personnel services department decides the men and women to be released and advises stations by signal messages. With the tempo of demobilisation increased following the end of the war, air signals offices have been working at high pressure in handling the lists of names for release. LTntil these names come forward, no action is taken by any station to return men to civilian life.

Details of the priority of releases are not known in Auckland, but it is believed that the order is in line •with that announced by the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser, namely, those who have completed four years' service. married men with children, youths under 20 years and six months, and those over 35. Personnel not within these groups, whose services are no longer required, are said to be also among the lists for demobilisation. Pay and Leave On receipt of signal messages, Immediate steps are taken by stations to demobilise men and women. In most cases this is carried out on stations close to Auckland, any overflow passing to the Port Depot at Remuera. The depot also deals with air crews under training and men returned from overseas who are about to be sent on disembarkation leave.

It was pointed out that no personnel were permitted to be released to civilian life unless their medical and dental gradings were satisfactory and formalities such as the clearing of kit and X-ray had been completed. Pay adjustments are made and arrangements prepared for the payment of mufti allowance.

With all these finalised, men and women, after completion of home service, are allowed 14 days' leave on pay, while those returning from overseas service receive 28 days, rising to a maximum of 91 days after operational duties.