N.Z.-JAPAN RUN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22621, 26 April 1948, Page 6

N.Z.-JAPAN RUN

AIR SERVICE NEARS END 41 SQUADRON’S RECORD (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 23. The Minister of Defence, Mr. F. Jones, stated yesterday that the courier service to Japan, known "as world's longest run with the same crew,” at present being operated by No. 41 Squadron R.N.Z.A.F.. Whenuapai, is shortly to be withdrawn. This service has maintained a high slate of efficiency over a regular round run of 13,500 odd miles and has furthered the prestige of the R.N.Z.A.F. The service was inaugurated in November, 1946, on the initiative of the New Zealand Government and the officer commanding the British Commonwealth occupation forces to enable tour-expired personnel of No. 14 fighter squadron in Japan to be repatriated to New Zealand for the conveyance of squadron replacements, urgent freight and mail to Japan. Use of Australian Service Now that the courier service is being discontinued, advantage will be taken by the New Zealand Government to despatch to Japan first-class mail for the occupation force by the recentlyinauguraied air mail service from Australia. This airmail is being operated by Qantas Airways under charter to the Royal Australian Air Force. For all other mail and freight from New Zealand, shipping space will be available between Australia and Japan. The frequency of the service on this route has been increased sufficiently to meet requirements. The Minister also stated that to supplement the critically depleted numbers of trained and experienced technical personnel at present available to the R.N.Z.A.F., it has been necessary to recruit trained personnel from the Royal Air Force. Satisfactory results had been obtained, but shipping space had not been available for the recruits to be transported to New Zealand. Representations were therefore made to the R.A.F. Transport Command to provide weekly air passages as far as Singapore. This request having been agreed to, it will be necessary to despatch weekly one C 47 (Dakota) aircraft of No. 41 Squadron to Singapore, via Australia, and the Dutch East Indies, to uplift 250 recruits for onward passage to New Zealand.