N.Z. SERVICEMEN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21755, 3 July 1945, Page 3

N.Z. SERVICEMEN

CIVIL LIFE PLANS FORMER JOBS DESIRED PROBLEM OF YOUNG MEN (Special Correspondent.) (10 a.m.) LONDON. July 2. What do New Zealand servicemen vant to do when they return home? What ideas have they for the future? Inquiries here indicate that, .generally speaking the majority —up to 90 per cent —want to return to their pre-war employment. The other 10 per cent, are made up of men who either desire to remain in the services or seek a fresh career. Those who are most restless and uncertain are the younger men who either left school or university to join up <;r those who held minor posts tor a short time before enlisting and, after good careers in the services which brought them decorations, rank and good pay and responsibility, do not want to go back, for instance, to be office boys.

This problem applies particularly to airmen who enlisted after 1941. Until that year, there was a waiting list to join the R.N.Z.A.F. The majority of men continued *in their jobs until they were called and they are older than those who joined later.

Junior Posts Not Relished

To-diy, after three years’ service or two tours of operations they are mostly content to return to their former employment, realising that there are limited openings in the R.N.Z.A.F., R.A.F, or civil aviation. It is the men who began their flying careers after .1941, many who are still posted with operational squadrons and who have had little experience in anything but service life who are most unsettled. The majority of them say that they want to continue flying because they feel that it would be difficult to begin another > areer. An instance is the case of one who was a junior clerk earning £2 10s weekly when he was in New Zealand —he is' now a squadron leader earning £lO weekly and is now used to command and taking responsibility. There is also the case of a flight-lieutenant with a D.F.C. who was flying with an operational squadron when he was 19. He is now married with an infant, de is content to fly a fighter all day but has not the faintest idea what he wants to do when he leaves the service.

Fighter Pilots Restless

Indeed there is, perhaps, greaterrestlessness among the young fighter pilots than those who operated on multiple-engined aircraft for the latter stand an opportunity of employment in civil aviation. Manjr inquiries are being made regarding civil aviation, both here and in New Zealand. Some men ma.y remain restless for a time, but the interest which is being taken in the rehabilitation plans indicates that the majority of youngsters who do not remain in the services or go civil flying will eventually be content to select a career and study for it, taking advantage of the excellent facilities provided.

It has also been found that those who desire to return to New Zealand are chiefly interested in farming, in professions,, trades or their own businesses, but few have a taste for clerical work.

Regarding the N.Z.E.F. in England they, of course are mostly an xormer prisoners, Their average age is higher than that of the airmen anti the same high percentage desire to return to their former employment. Some desire to remain in the. permanent army. A smaller percentage than the airmen is worried by tire thought of returning to junior positions but nevertheless there is a proportion.

Naval Men’s Worries

With the R.N.Z.N.V.R. the position is entirely different. ‘There is no plan at present for demobilisation, -ne majority of men will not be released from service until the end of the Japanese war. Their chief worry is whether all the “good jobs” will be filled by the time they are demobilised and this is causing worry and restlessness.

It applies particularly to young men who have now served for several years and see no other prospect than a further indefinite period ot service. In naval slang they are “chokker” or fed up. It is considered here that the New Zealand Government should give the matter immediate attention and announce its intentions in order that the sailors' minds may be set at rest.

Rehabilitation Facilities Sought The rehabilitation faciiHi.es provided in England are being eagerly sought by many men. About 150 ha/e been granted scholarships and bursaries to study at universities. They are carefully selected and are studying a wide variety of subjects. Some of these are engineering, as applied to water supply, and sewerage disposal, chartered accountancy, post-graduate course for M.R.C.P. and so on. The majority of men are availing themselves of what is known as courses and attachments oa pay and allowances for periods of six months during which they can be recalled to sail ior New Zealand Generally speaking, it would seem that with the majority of men desirous of returning to their former employment, the chief problem will be provided by the men in their early twenties for whom the war has delayed or unsettled their civilian career and it is on them that most attention should be concentrated —particularly the young airmen and sailors.