RAPID EXPANSION

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 256, 27 July 1939, Page 13

RAPID EXPANSION

Defence Forces Of The Dominion MINISTER’S PROPOSALS Details of his proposals for the rapid expansion of the defence forces of the Dominion were announced yesterday by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones. The personnel of the Regular Forces will be increased from 430 to GOO at an initial cost of £12,000, and at an estimated annual expenditure of £45,000. At the same time the peace establishment of officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps and the Royal New Zealand zlrtillery will be lifted from 96 to 140.

The Minister is also anxious to raise the facilities for the training of air force pilots to their maximum efficiency with the least possible delay. To this end arrangements have been made to establish two full-scale flying training schools and he has obtained authority to use the services of ti number of officers of the Royal Air Force, who will be in New Zealand on loan for two years. These include one wing commander, two squadron leaders, one flying Instructor, one engineer officer, and 24 fitters. An expenditure of £15,000 is involved in this arrangement.

Six Airspeed Oxford planes are to be purchased at a cost of more than £50,000 to augment the machines of this type that are already in use in New Zealand. In addition £119.000 will be spent on the purchase of other aircraft from the United Kingdom. The creation of a Royal New Zealand Air Force Station at Blenheim is estimated to cost £94,350, and accommodation required for the Territorial z\ir Force at Whenuapai involves another £26,000. zkdditional hangars and facilities needed at Wigram to enable the output of pilots to be lifted from 48 to 80 a year means an expenditure of £67,000, which has already been approved.