TERRITORIAL AIR SQUADRON

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27860, 7 January 1956, Page 2

TERRITORIAL AIR SQUADRON

NEW COMMANDING OFFICER FLIGHT LIEUTENANT PALMER CHOSEN A regular Royal New Zealand Air ! Force officer has been chosen to com. rriand No. 3 (Canterbury) Territorial , Air Force Squadron. He is Flight ! Lieutenant M. F. McD. Palmer, whosa appointment was announced yesterday Flight Lieutenant Palmer replaces Squadron Leader R. J. N. Archibald, who relinquished his post of officer commanding the squadron on December 31. Squadron Leader Archibald has accepted lhe offer of a reserve post as deputv-commander of the Christchurch Air Defence Organisation. It was oft. cially confirmed yesterday that his ap. pointment is "in process of being approved by the Air Department.” Tha officer commanding the organisation ii Wing Commander J. R. Maling. A.F.C., who was Squadron Leader ArchlbaM’s predecessor in the territorial squadron. Flight Lieutenant Palmer was bom ii> Christchurch and educated at Christ s College and Auckland University College. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a cadet pilot in 1949 For three years and a half he flew Vampire jet fighters with No 14 Squadron in Cyprus and in New Zealand. In 1953 he attended the School of Land-Air Warfare at Williamstown. Australia In the same year, in December, he was honoured by being chosen to receive from Queen Elizabeth the first Queen’s Colour presented by the Queen herself to a British Commonwealth air force. The ceremony was held at Whenuapai. T 4 , Since then. Flight Lieutenant Palmer has been an instructor at the Flyinj Training School, Wigram, and his last post was with the Central Flyint School. His new appointment will carry the title of executive officer of the squadron, a position that will inelude the responsibilities of commanding officer. Squadron Leader Archibald was appointed to command the squadron three vears ago. He w r as educated at Christ’3 College and Canterbury University College. He enlisted in the Air Force in August. 1941. and durinf 1942 and 1943 served with army cooperation squadrons in New Zealand. He completed three operational fours with No. 18 (Fighter) Squadron, and two operational tours as a flight commander with No. 20 (Fighter) Squadron in the Solomons area. He wa» awarded the Distinguished Flyinf Cross in October. 1945.