AIR FORCE STRIKERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1946, Page 7

AIR FORCE STRIKERS

' 500 WILLING 10 REMAIN IN SERVICE STATEMENT BY MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) stated to-day that the position in respect of airmen who had ceased work had improved. The total strength of the R.N.Z.A.F. is ’ 4167, and of number 783 men were intially involved in the stoppage of work. Since the Issue of the statement, approximately 500 of them had signified their willingness to continue with the Air Force and- 283 had sought their release. The Minister said that»additional requests were being received for permission to withdraw their previous applications for release, and it was anticipated that the total number of releases would be still further reduced. Small Percentage “Compared with the total strength of the R.N.Z.A.F. of 5275 officers and airmen, the percentage asking for release is very small,” said the Chief of the Air Staff (Vice-Marshal A. de T. Nevill), referring in an*!nterview to-day to the trouble among airmen on R.N.Z.A.F. stations. There appeared to have been considerable misunderstanding and confusion of the issues involved by the men concerned, he said. Various elements of the Aii’ Force must be fully integrated and mutually confident in each other. He had no doubt of the men who volunteered to serve in .the post-war force. New Zealand’s' standard of health, education, and living were probably the highest in the world, but they often forgot that freedom was inseparable from responsibilty. They must attract a high standard of airmen into the service if they were to ensure that maximum opportunities for advancement were open to all serving airmen. It was the intention to provide within the service a sound scheme of educational and vocatoinal training, so that men on short engagements who left might be fully capable of playing their part in civil life.

Special Training He stressed that this special training and the desire to ensure the fitness of men by physical training and organised games increased the time worked by men. “I regard the Air Force as a higher school for citizenship. and personnel who leave the force should be a credit to 'Jheir country. We aim to discharge them better men, physically and mentally than when they enlisted.” He wished to emphasise, he said, that' a much closer asociation of officers and airmen should be developed to discuss matters affecting the improvement of service, efficiency, and morale and the bettering of conditions of service. This would develop a team spirit, loyalty, and discipline which were as vital to the service as in civil life. .