NEW LEAVE SCALE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 82, 4 October 1944, Page 4

NEW LEAVE SCALE

AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

MEN FROM OVERSEAS

New conditions governing the granting of leave with pay and allowances to Air Force personnel on return from overseas, which are designed to re- « move existing anomalies and place . them on a similar basis to Army per- t sonnel, were announced today by the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones). The regulations apply to officers and other i ranks who have been serving with i the Royal New Zealand Air Force ] overseas, or have been attached to the , Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian | Air Force or the Royal Australian Air Force. The Minister,said the new scale of , leave would cover those men who had ■ returned on termination of one or more tours of duty, on posting, or for compassionate reasons, for discharge— whether- on medical grounds? or otherwise—for release to civil life b£ transfer to the Reserve, or as repatriated or escaped prisoners of war, including protected personnel. - Provided they had completed not less than three years' service or one tour of operations (other than in the Pacific), personnel returning from overseas would be entitled to 91 days' leave, said Mr. Jones. Where the period overseas was less than six months, leave for non-flying personnel would not exceed 14 days, except with the approval of the Minister of Defence. Aircrew would be granted a minimum of 14 days. Where personnel had served over six months they would be entitled to two days' leave for every month of service abroad, with a minimum of 28 days and a maximum of 91 days. No repatriated or escaped prisoners of war would be re-embarked from New Zealand within 91 days of disembarkation.

OTHER CONDITIONS. c "For the purposes of these Regula-P tions leave will commence on the day|* after arrival at the leave destination," * said the Minister. "If, during the leave ] period, personnel are required to report for duty for any reason, the time , _o spent, including full travelling • time, will be added to the original ( Leave period. The period of overseas « service will commence from the date J of embarkation in New Zealand, and . will be calculated to the nearest month. _ In the case of incomplete months, less 5 than 16 days shall not be counted and 16 days and more shall be counted as - one month." ] Where men were returned after j being wounded three or more times, i and provided they were Grade 1, they <> would be retained in New Zealand on ; duty after the expiration of leave for ' such period as would ensure that they ; spent at least six months in New Zea- ; land, from the date of disembarking, ; the Minister continued. Personnel returned to New Zealand for direction into essential • industry would be granted 28 days only of any. leave to which they were entitled, the balance being credited to them for granting if recalled for service or on the final termination of service. If they were not so recalled pay and allowances in lieu of balance of leave due would be paid when the pay account was finalised. Where personnel were returned on account of misconduct, rail pass and leave in whole or in part would be withheld at the discretion of the Air Force Member for Personnel. / PAY AND ALLOWANCES. . Discussing the provision of pay and allowances, the Minister said that full pay and subsistence allowance at the rate of 4s 6d a day would be paid for the total period of both leave and travelling time.. Free rail passes within New Zealand would be provided for personnel with their wives if they were married for the whole period of their leave and travelling time, except that the wives of aircrew personnel would be entitled to only one free rail pass each 12 months. Travelling warrants' granted to all single men for periods of overseas leave would include their mothers, who. would be entitled to only one free rail pass every twelve months. Personnel discharged or transferred to the Reserve might use their free rail pass at any time within 12 months of their discharge or transfer. Personnel directed, to essential industry would be required to use their rail pass during the actual period of 28 days' leave, unless there were particularly good reasons why the pass could not be used in that period. The Minister added that the scheme outlined dfd not apply to personnel returning from temporary attachment or temporary duty. It would be retrospective to April 19, 1944, so that personnel returned since that date would qualify.