THE AIR FORCE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 281, 24 August 1944, Page 4

THE AIR FORCE

Decision To Reduce Establishment STATEMENT BY MR. FRASER “After considering the whole position with Allied staffs and Governments overseas, the New Zealand Government has decided that it is not necessary to send any more New Zealand airmen to Canada for training,” said the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in announcing in the House of Representatives yesterday the reorganization of plans affecting the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Prime Minister also said there would be a progressive reduction in the honje establishment of the service, but that some 1200 aircrew personnel trained in the Dominion would be required annually for service in the Pacific, “As already announced overseas,” said the Prime Minister, “the recent war developments have made possible and necessary considerable revision of the earlier air training plans in the United Kingdom and the Dominions. In.addition, Air Force casualties were providentially much less than was anticipated both before and during the invasion of Europe, and the creating and maintaining of large air reserves in the United Kingdom today, while still necessary, is not the difficult problem, owing to the numbers already trained, which it was when air superiority was in the balance.” The decision to cease sending .men to Canada for training, added the Prime Minister, would result in R substantial reduction in air crew enlistments in New Zealand. , .. _ “The Royal New Zealand Air Force has gradually been allocated increased general responsibility in the Pacific,” continued the Prime Minister.. “For this purpose some 1200 fully-trained aircrew personnel will be required each year It will now be necessary to train all these up to full operational standard in New Zealand whereas previously this. was done in the main in Canada and in the United Kingdom. Establishment Reduction. “This revised programme will necessarily require a considerable reorganization throughout the Royal New Zea land Air Force in the Dominion, the cumulative effect of which will be a progressive reduction in the home establishment of the service. As a. result of this plan some 2000 men will be released during the next few weeks and further releases will occur.as the progress of the new plan permits. “These far-reaching decisions were arrived at as a result of a series of conferences which were held recently by the Chief of the Air Staff, and by myself, with Ministers and Chiefs of Staff in the United Kingdom and the. United States. The actual deployment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific has also been the .subject of close examination by the Joint Chiefs of Staff both in London and Washington. “It is a cardinal principle of Allied policy that in the amphibious war against Japan the protection of bases and supply lines has a high priority in the allocation of air units. Many of the islands through which the Allies are progressing today are British territory, the defence of which must obviously be shared by British forces. These bases, which we are already helping to protect, will always remain of vital importance to the Dominion, and the Government has therefore accepted the responsibility of providing for New Zealand’s participation in their defence. “Under the Allied plan a proportion of the Royal New Zealand Air Force will thus be maintained in the South Pacific area for these vital protective duties. These squadrons will also constitute a composite tactical force for such other tasks as may be allotted to them by th® United States theatre commander. . “In addition, some of our squadrons will be employed in the combat areas for operations against the enemy. “Up to the present the Royal Nev? Zealand Air Force has sent overseas no fewer than 25,000 men, including some who have gone to the Pacific on two or more tours of duty. This, has been a weighty contribution to Allied air superiority, 'but it is enhanced by the splendid individual qualities of the men themselves. , , ~ “The highest tributes have been paid to the work of the men of the Rojfll New Zealand Air Force by the Air Force commanders under whom they have served, and by all those responsible for air activities in both Great Britain and the United States. . . “Not only are they unstinted in their admiration for the fighting qualities of our air crews,” said Mr. Fraser, bu they have also expressed their profound admiration for the skill and technical ability of our ground staffs, whose, standards are placed by these authorities as among the best in the world. This is attributed to the thoroughness and soundness of the Air Force training system in New’ Zealand.”