R.N.Z.A.F. AIR RACE ENTRY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27048, 25 May 1953, Page 10

R.N.Z.A.F. AIR RACE ENTRY

RADIO REPORTER TO FLY IN HASTINGS Material for a series of preliminary programmes about the London-Christ-church air race will be gathered by Mr Arnold Wall,-talks officer at 3YA, during the test flights to England and back of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Handley Page Hastings of No. 41 (Transport) Squadron • which left Auckland on May 21. Mr Wall will also represent the New Zealand Broadcasting Service in the aircraft during the race in October.

Mr Wall has taken a tape recorder with him, and -will gather both scripted and actual material on the present test flights and while he is to England. He hopes to meet officials of the Royal Aero Club, which is organising the start of the race from London Airport on October 8, and Air Ministry officials, and will visit firms that have produced British aircraft entered in the race. He will return to England a few weeks before the start of the race.

Mr Wall, who is a son of Professor Arnold Walk, entered broadcasting about two years ago. Before that he had a distinguished record in the Royal Air Forcfe. from which he retired in 1951. after 25 years’ service, with the rank of group captain. He went straight from Christ’s College to the Royal Air Force in 1926 and served in England, India, Iraq, France, and Germany. In 1931 during flying operations over tne North-west Frcntier of India he was mentioned in dirpatches. After the war he spent two years in Germany on equipment work, including the supply of spare parts during the Berlin airlift. For his work during the airlift he was awarded the 0.8. E. In his last year in Germany, at 2nd Tactical Air Force Headquarters. he worked on the re-estab-lishment of the Air Forces of Occupation on a war fotttog.