AIR TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 7, 3 October 1944, Page 6

AIR TRAINING

New Zealand’s Share In Empire Plan FORMIDABLE AERIAL army produced

New Zealand's contribution to the development of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which is to be terminated because its purpose has teen achieved, was reviewed yesterday by the Minister of Defence. Mi. Jones He said the total number of New Zealand airmen who had passed through Canada for aircrew training was Toll, according to the latest figures available. This was a good contribution for a small country and the Dominion had undertaken a big task for its size and resources. Since the scheme began, more than 100,000 air men bad been trained for flying duties hl ‘‘Of n toe a 7sil men who went to Canada from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 5721 had graduated by the end of last May,” Mr. Jones continued. “Of this number 4845 had been posted to the Royal Air Force, 113 were awaiting posting, 204 were on duty with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and 452 were returning or had returned to New Zealand for duty. There were ?ls<>, “ juy ainclerjroing operational tiainin o .. These figures, the Minister explained, did not tell the whole story of this coun&W& ft r flyto g r This total included those who trained comnletelv in the Dominion and those who went to Canada for further training The majority had taken part in operations against the enemy in Great Britain, Europe, India, the Far Bast, dll of t men trained, 3052 were pilots who received all their instruction in New Zealand, 2010 were Pilots who be-an their training in the Dominion before going to Canada, 4001 were wireless operator-air gunners,, gators, and air bombers who trained first in New Zealand apd then in Canada, and 3C6 were navigators and air gunners woo were trained in the Dominion to meet local and Pacific requirements. Building Up of Air Strength. -One of the most important and effective military measures of the war, the British Commonwealth air. training plan, which has realized all its original aims and played a large part in turning the scales in the Allies’ favour, deserves much credit for the brWiantly-suceessful second front invasion ” said the Minister. “The preliminary softenmg-up of Germany's military and industrial centres and the invasion itself were made pos- . sible largely by the might of the Allied , air offensive, which in turn owed much to the Empire air training plan. “The thorough training given to tens of thousands of young men from Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and many other branches of the Commonwealth, and the speed with which tlie schools maintained their output, enabled the Empire to build up a formidable aerial army. Many of New Zealand’s most distinguished airmen were trained in Canada under the Empire plan, and their successes against, the enemy are a tribute to their own initiative, skill and courage, and to the thoroughness and effectiveness of their trainjog. Among them are Flight Lieutenant A. E. Umbers, D.F.C. and bar. of Dunedin, who was the first New Zealand pilot to shoot down a flying bomb, and who has the highest score of Dominion pilots with 28, and Flight Lieutenant Perrin, D.F.C., of Invercargill, who went to Canada with Flight Lieutenant Umbers in February, 1941, and who has an. excellent record, too. Others who trained in Canada, to mention only a few, were the late Flying Officer L. A. Ingg, V.G., D F.C., whose exploits are well Known, and the late Flight Lieutenant G.■ bten•borg, D.F.C., who accounted for 11 German aircraft.” Part Played by A.T.C.

In the Dominion the R.N.Z.A.F. had, in line with other countries of the Empire, been busy developing the Air Training Corps, which, in supplying the Air Force with a steady flow of recruits, had made an important contribution to tile Air Training Plan. The value of the A.T.C. as a means of hastening training and of reducing wastage in aircrew had been readily appreciated and much miportance had been attached to the work of this branch of the service. Since its inception the A.T.C. had provided over 3000 recruits for the R.N.Z.A.F., more than half of whom were aircrew Many former cadets had finally passed through Canada as pilots, navigators or WOAG s; not a few were already flying warplanes in European and other combat theatres and were meritoriously maintaining the high traditions which had been estabfished by New Zealand airmen abroad. Reviewing the development of the AnTraining Plan, the Minister said it was launched following proposals made in September, 1939, and owed its establishment to the joint enterprise of the British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Governments of that year. In announcing the signing of the agreement by the four countries, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Mackenzie King, had told the Canadian people in December, 1939, that the cost of the Air Training .> Plan programme was estimated at 600,000,000 dollars over the next three years and a quarter. In addition to the 20 airfields which were available in Canada, another 60 would be required. Sixtyseven training schools would also be needed. Four-fifths of the airmen who were to take advanced training in Canada would be Canadians, and nearly onefifth would come from Australia and New Zealand. These, said the Minister, were the main points which emerged from the agreement. It was no small enterprise, obviously. The agreement was to run till March 31, 1943. but provision was made for its earlier termination, or an extension beyond that date if necessary, by mutual consent. In November, 1941, the Canadian Minister for Air, Mr. C. G. Power, had told the House, of Commons that the plan would last for the duration of the war. Extension of Scheme. The other Governments had given assurances of their determination to carry out their obligations under the scheme and on June 5, 1942, another agreement was signed in Ottawa whereby the four countries signified their willingness, to extend the scheme till March, 1945. As was now well-known, it had been found possible to discontinue training in Canada some months earlier because aircrew casualties during the invasion had been fewer than was expected and as good reserves of manpower were in hand. “The principal objective of the Air Training Plan in 1939 wits to establish a .training organization on which we could create air forces superior in size and quality to those of the enemy.” said the Minister. “This objective Ims been reached. As the schools turned out their aircrew graduates in tens of thousands, so has our air superiority increased in every theatre of war. In reviewing the present satisfactory position in Europe, we should always remember the hard and difficult road over which we have travelled. The Empire Air Training Plan, a great co-ordinated network extending from flying training stations such as Ashburton to the very heart of the Empire, and thence to every storm centre of the war in the air, has put our ascendancy over the enemy in the air beyond challenge and has been primarily responsible for our successes in the war. It will be remembered for all time as one of the foundation stones of victory.”

TAIERI STATION

Initial Training Wing

“The Taieri will be used in order to grade pilots and ascertain their suitability for further training .as fighterpilots’ flying single-engined aircraft, said the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, in reply to an inquiry last evening concerning the future use to be made of the R.N.Z.A.F. Station at Taieri. “The predominant need is for lighter-pilots.” added tiie Minister. “The Taieri will also be used as the initial training wmg for putting aircrew through the necessary ground training which all must undertake.”