AIR DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1938, Page 13

AIR DEFENCE

CIVIL RESERVE

SPLENDID RESPONSE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, September 30,

A splendid response has been made to the appeal of the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones), for men to form the civil reserve for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Minister announced in abn interview today that nearly 3000 applications had now been received, and it seemed that there would be no difficulty in reaching the initial limit of 5000.

Three groups were required for the reserve, the Minister said. The first consisted of men with experience in senior executive, administrative, or technical position who could in wartime fill vacancies for commissioned officers, the second comprised men in the technical trades, while clerks and an administrative personnel were wanted for the third group. It was satisfactory to record that all groups were well represented in tho applications so far received, although there was still need for some names in the group requiring skilled tradesmen. "The only liability on the man who registers," Mr. Jones said, "is that in the event of war he should join the Royal New Zealand. Air Force for service in the Dominion. Although the civil reserve forms part of the organisation of the Air Force it is not intended that in peace its members should be issued- with uniforms or. receive pay,

and any training they undertake will be purely voluntary. "I am extremely gratified with the response already made and particularly with the high standard of men who have offered themselves for service in the event of a national emergency."