AIR FORCE RECRUITS

Evening Star, Issue 23527, 16 March 1940, Page 11

AIR FORCE RECRUITS

800 SOUTH ISLAND APPLICANTS CLASS WOM EXCELLENT jPji Unites Prim Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, March 15. Right hundred South Island men who have applied for selection .as airman pilots, aic.;observers, and air gunners - in the Royal New Zealand Air. Force were interviewed by the teelection; Committeei.which ,reccntjy . made a tour. Commenting on the selection the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) said ko-day that the type of men applying for entry to the air ■ crew . section ; or the Air Force. co»]iniie<l to be high, ana was, very tveli satisfied with those seen. The, probable extension of the educawas menHe was so well 3satisfilat ! witlii§ttw:;*uccess of the; present, arrangements, he said, that he liad felt.for some time the advisability of drafting-td the preljminary classes in mathematics and, .science all the men who were to enter the,ground, training school at Levin as airman pilots, air observers, and air gunners. In that way the earlier ' mathematical work would be consolidated and extended. Gaps in knowledge would he filled up and the organisation at' the ground training ■ school- would! hfe ‘simplified-. This extension was Under cnnsideration, and an early-dpcision- would be made. i He had found; Mr Jones said, that riiany men were "spending large sums of money to obtain - private coaching ,and instruction in Air Force subjects so that thev . might reach the; pilot standard. They were being invited to do so by^correspondence.' . “ I wish to, emphasise that this is quite unnecessary, and that Air Force classes,; Of 'A correspondence school will provide all"the,’instruction necessary at no’cost to the, man himself if he has been selected for the Air Force and found-to be'physically fit. ; -The Selection ’Committee, consisting of Flight-lieutenant A. C. M‘Arthur (chairman), Mr E. Caradus (senior inspector of schools and director of educational services.’: R.N.Z.A.P.). ,and. Mr C. C. N. Johnston (of the personnel branch of the: Air Department), had now completed its second round of visits to South Island towns. Visits were

paid to IlWheim. Nelson. Dunedin. Invercargill. and Christchurch, the men from other centres being notified!/ to attend at one or other. of these T towns:.Interviews at Napier and Gisborne, would he carried out just before Easter, and those pt Auckland and Wellington a month after Easter. Mr Caradus had inspected the work being done in the various Air Force classes in the South Island, and had reported his very favourable impression, not only of the’ type of men, but of their keenness and enthusiasm, only equalled by that of their instructors, who were devoting themselves unsparingly to the work of fitting the men for the tasks which they would shortly have to do. The .regularity of attendance was remarkable,'.approximating 100 per cent.