R.A.F. OFFICERS ARRIVE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 249, 17 July 1937, Page 10

R.A.F. OFFICERS ARRIVE

Specialists on Exchange STAY OF TWO YEARS By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, July 16. Tlie first officers to come to the Dominion under arrangements made by the Government for the exchange of Royal New Zealand Air Force officers with Royal Air Force officers, arrived from England by tlie Arawa. They are Flight Lieutenant. W. M. Grundy, who is a specialist signals officer, and Flight Lieutenant L, Crocker, a specialist engineer. Both will he attached to the Royal New Zealand Air Force for a term of two years. The New Zealand officers sent to England under the agreement between the two Governments were Squadron -Leader Buckley, officer commanding the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Hobsonville, and Flying Officer Duffey, who was stationed at Wigram Aerodrome. In order to qvereome the difficulty of providing the necessary specialist officers the Royal Air Force agreed to send in exchange a specialist engineer and a specialist signals officer.

Flight Lieutenant Grundy, who joined the Royal Air Force in 1926, lias served with fighter squadrons since then, and was attached to the fleet air arm for three years. Recently he has been serving with one of the squadrons concerned with the defence of London. Flight Lieutenant Crocker, who has been in the Royal Air Force since 1927, has served in flying-boat squadrons, and was once stationed at Singapore. Tie was one of the crew of the Supermarine Southampton flyingboat that made a flight from Singapore to Sydney some time ago. Tlie two officers were met on arrival by Squadron Leader Nevill, Air Staff and Intelligence Officer at air headquarters, Wellington, and Flight Lieutenant Lester, officer commanding the Hobsonville Air Base. They will spend a few days at Hobsonville and will then proceed to Wellington, where they will probably be attached to the air headquarters staff.