DOMINION’S WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 39, 9 November 1940, Page 7

DOMINION’S WAR EFFORT

Review By Minister EMPIRE AIR TRAINING SCHEME (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Nov. 8. A review .of the maimer in which New Zealand is fulfilling its obligations under the Empire Air Training Scheme was given by the Minister of

Defence, Mr Jones, in a speech before

the commencement of a concert by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band

in the Town Hall to-night

Mr. Jones said that the fact that the Dominion now had 5,700 men in t raining for the Air Force would give the public an idea of the important contribution the country was making to the Empire’s mighty air effort. There were more than 1,000 New Zealand airmen serving in Great Britain at present, he continued, and of these 45 had been decorated by His Majesty, the King, for distinguished service. Next year New Zealand would have 10.000'men in training and would send overseas no fewer than 4,500 pilots and aircraftmen, some of whom would go direct to Great Britain, while others would be sent to Canada for further training. "New Zealand’s war effort has been a splendid one,” Mr. Jones said. ‘‘Many of our men are overseas, waiting to play their part in various fields of activity. The invasion of Great Britain may never come, but if it does our forces are there to assist the Mother Country. "Our navy has already achieved deeds of which the country is proud. ’The Achilles won glory in the battle of the River Plate and the Leander, the story of whose fine work I hope will be told, is also doing her part gallantly” Mr. Jones concluded by paying tribute to the fine work of New Zealand nurses, 106 of whom were overseas with the Expeditionary Force. Everything possible was being done for the health and welfare of the troops, and thanks to their devotion, wastage of men through sickness was much lower than bad been expected.