AIR FORCE

Evening Star, Issue 23881, 10 May 1941, Page 12

AIR FORCE

RECRUITING CAMPAIGN IN DUNEDIN BIG PARADE ON THURSDAY Tho recruiting campaign for the Royal New Zcaiand Air Force, winch has been conducted in various parts of the Dominion, will be commenced in Dunedin next week, when the Air Force Selection Committee, of which Squadron Loader A. C. M‘Arthur is the chairman, will sit here from Wednesday to Saturday to interview candidates. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the committee will sit at the Chief Post Office from 10 a.m. to noon, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Notices have been sent to those who are to appear before the Selection Committee, but anyone interested will also be seen. Any man who has been drawn m a battot and who has the required qualifications may apply to join the Air Force as a pilot, an observer, or in certain non-flying technical positions, but must exercise his option within seven days of the receipt of his ballot notice. The big feature of the recruiting campaign in Dunedin will be the parade on Thursday of over 300 'men from the Taicri Air Station, led by the full band of the R.N.Z.A.F. it will- begin at noon on Thursday, when the men will form up at tho corner of Cumberland and Lower Rattray streets (south side). Squadron Leader G. L. Stedman, the commanding officer at the Taieri Station, will there inspect the men on parade. At 12.30, after tho inspection, tho parade, headed by the band, will move off. The route will lead up Rattray street into Princes street, along to the Octagon—where the salute will be taken by Squadron Leader Stedman and tho mayor, Mr A. H. Allen. After passing the saluting base the parade will wheel around the lower portion of tho Octagon, and will return to the saluting base, where it will form up, and an address will be given by the mayor. At the conclusion of the address the baud will lead the procession along George street to Frederick street, down Frederick street into King street, and past the Hospital, down Hanover street, and then along Castle street to the Railway Station, where the band and the men on parade will entrain for the Taieri station. Further attention will be drawn to the campaign by flights of aeroplanes over the city between noon and 12.30 p.m- on Thursday. WAITING TIME REDUCED, The active recruiting campaign has been launched, as was explained by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, recently, because of the enormous increase in the air training facilities throughout the Empire as the result of the operation of the Empire training scheme. New Zealand actually laid the foundations for considerable air expansion in 1937, and when war broke out and the Empire scheme was put into operation, New Zealand was in the fortunate position of being able to change to a wartime basis almost immediately. The Minister stated that the stage had now been reached where the New Zealand Air Force was able to work at full war pressure, and men could be trained in hundreds where previously they could be trained only in small numbers. This meant, he said, that the period of waiting between application and actual posting to ground training schools could be very materially reduced. It was found that in the past men had preferred not to wait for the many months that necessarily had to pass before they could be absorbed into the scheme, and a good number joined the Army forces. The position to-day was quite different. The waiting time had been reduced to a minimum, and it was now possible for men to be started on their preliminary educational courses almost immediately, and for their entry into a ground training school to be assured soon after they had completed that course. . In view of the very great speed-up in the training programme, it was necessary to ensure that volunteers should be coming forward in a steady strea . to meet all requirements, the Minister said. It was felt that once eligible men knew that the waiting period for entry had been reduced, the response would be good. The recruiting campaign, therefore, was designed to make known the needs of the Air Force, and the fact that men could be absorbed without delay. The response to date in the north had been thoroughly satisfactory, and it was expected that similar results would he forthcoming from the remainder of the South Island. Tho Selection Board will he m Oamam on Monday, May 12. After sitting at Dunedin it will proceed to Invercargill, where it will sit on May 19 and 20- On May 22 and 23 it will be at Timaru, and will then proceed to the est Coast.