Defence Chief On Farewell Visit

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 1

Defence Chief On Farewell Visit

Britain’s Chief of Defence Staff (Marsha) of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Elworfhy) arrived at Christchurch Airport yesterday afternoon from Canberra on a farewell visit to New Zealand before he relinquishes the post in October. He said that he was very happy to be back in the Dominion again although like previous visits, it was all too brief. “Since I left in 1923 11 have only spent about three weeks in accumulated time ■in New Zealand,” he said. However, he said that he | would come back to spend (three months in New Zealand)

after his retirement at the end of the year. This would be a private holiday to see the country from one end to the other, do some fishing, and see his relatives of whom “we have scads up and down the place.” Asked about his plans for retirement, Sir Charles Elworthy said that he would not be idle; nor did he intend working all day. every day: nor would he write any memoirs. He said that being the Chief of the British Defence Staff was at times a frustra ting job. “For example, changes of policy can come a bit hard.” he said, adding that this was not to be misconstrued as meaning that he criticised Britain’s move towards a European defence lidentity and its withdrawal I from South-East Asia. | Earlier he had said that

no questions were to he asked of politico-defence nature. In Wellington today Sir Charles Elworthy will "field" such questions at a formal press conference Sir Charles Elworthy said that he felt it was high time ne got out of the job. "After all, I’m getting a bit long in the tooth.” - Today he will call on the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) and will have talks with the New Zealand Chiefs of Staff committee in Wellington. At the airport yesterday where he arrived in a Royal Air Force Comet, Sir Charles Elworthy, who was accompanied by Lady Elworthy, was met by the officer commanding the R.N.Z.A.F. Training Group (Air Commodore A. S. Agar), the airport manager (Mr A. I. R. Jamieson i, and his son, Mr Christopher 'Elworthy and his family.