South Island R.N.Z.A.F. Appointments

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31809, 14 October 1968, Page 16

South Island R.N.Z.A.F. Appointments

In Royal New Zealand Air Force appointments effective on January 6, Wing Commander A. S. Wood, the present base commander at the Woodbourne station, will become commanding officer of the Flying Training School at Wigram—and Wing Commander W. G. Hughes, senior administrative staff officer at Training Group headquarters at Wigram, will become base commander of Woodbourne.

Wing Commander Wood was born at Geraldine, educated at the Geraldine District High School, and joined the R.N.Z.A.F. as a pilot in 1943. In 1944. he became a flying instructor, first at Woodbourne and later at Wigram. He was on the reserve from 1945 until he rejoined the Air Force in 1947. In 1948, he was posted to No. 14 Squadron in Japan. On his return to New Zealand he again became a flying instructor at Wigram, where he remained until being posted to Ohakea in 1953.

There followed staff duties at R.N.Z.A.F. headquarters -♦ Wellington. In 1956, he served on exchange duty with the Royal Air Force returning to New Zealand in 1958 to take the post of officer commanding the Central Flying School at Wigram. In 1960, he became the officer commanding the Transport Support Unit at Whenuapai, and subsequently the officer commanding No. 41 Squadron, and No. 40 Squadron. Wing Commander Wood is considered to have perhaps the most comprehensive background of transport command of any senior officer in the R.N.Z.A.F. today. His son. Pilot Officer G. Wood, is 'at .present under-

going a pilot-training .course at Wigram, and is scheduled to graduate by the end of the year.

Wing Commander Hughes, who becomes the next commanding officer of Woodbourne, fs a New Plymouth man who joined the R.N.Z.A.F. as a navigator in 1943. He was trained in Canada and later served during World War II in Britain, West Africa, and the Far East (mainly in Ceylon and Hong Kong). He was discharged in 1946. In 1947, Wing Commander Hughes rejoined the Air Force as an accounts clerk because of a health problem. The next year this had cleared and he regained Ms former aircrew category, flying as a navigator. Between 1948 and 1953, he served as an Instructor at the Navigation School at Wigram. Then followed two years and a half as navigation leader with No. 5 Squadron at Lauthala Bay, at the time when the Air Force was re-equipping with Sunderlands. He returned to New Zealand in 1955, and in 1960 took a course at the Royal Air Force Staff College in England, after which he was attached to the Royal Air Force. On his return to New Zealand, Wing Commander Hughes received further staff appointments at Wellington. Wing Commander Hughes went to Malaysia in 1964 to become the first New Zealander on the defence liaison staff based at Kuala Lumpur. In May, 1966, he returned to New Zealand and his present appointment at training group headquarters.