AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. FORCES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24501, 26 February 1945, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. FORCES

CLOSE CO-OPERATION IN PACIFIC (RJN Z.A.F. Official News Service.) BOUGAINVILLE, February 19. Satisfaction with the between the R.N.Z.A.F. and the R.A.A F and A.I.F. was expressed by the Australian Chief of the Air Staff (Air ViceMarshal C. Jones). He is visiting Bougainville in the, course of an extensive tour of operational areas. “As a result of the combined efforts cf these forces,” said Air Vice-Marshal Jones, "we have been able to make excellent progress in the campaign to reduce the many thousands of Japanese still in these areas. Without this close co-operation, the difficult task of rooting the tenacious ’Nips’ from their jungle strongholds would_ take much longer, and would be achieved only at a great cost. As it is, our losses have been remarkably light.” Air Vice-Marshal Jones expressed great pleasure that the renowned Anzac team was again fighting side by side. The prowess of its members in battle had been proved, both in the last war and earlier in this war. In the near future, he declared, our forces in the Pacific would be in even closer cooperation.