R.A.F. EXPANSION

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1936, Page 6

R.A.F. EXPANSION

ADDITIONAL SQUADRONS

- (British Cflirial Wireless J

LONDON; November 10,

'L Twenty-six new squadrons—23 in the regular service and three aux.iliary—Jiave been added to the •strength of the Royal Air Force under the terms of the expansion plan announced’by the Government in {May last. EortyJive more unfite must be added ’to bring-up the strength of the Metropolitan Air Force to the .1-23 squadrons then proposed. A i further exte'nsirtn of 129 squadrons, -.backed iby full war -reserves and representing a vast augmentation of Jthe striking -power of the service, was ..outlined in the White Paper on defence last-March.

Bombing squadrons predominate among the units formed up to the spresent. Eighteen new squadronsils regular rand three .'auxiliary—are equipped with bombing aircraft, and' live regular squadrons with -fighters. {Three squadrons of the new "general reconnaissance” category are »now in being. Seven of them—flying ’twin-engined landplanes—>will be employed ultimately on coastal .patrols are reconnaissance at distances from :the shores of Britain of up to several hundred miles, thus in effect pushing out. Britain’s frontier in the air much farther than her coastline, which is periously near the capital and other yital centres of .the national life. Sites ,for no fewer than 40 new Royal Air Force ... stations have been On 32 of them the erecion of buildings and site levelling are well under way. Thirteen special civil .flying training schools, wdiere initial tuition- for young Royal Air Force pilots is given, have been created. Contracts. for the same number of training centres for the new Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve are being placed. Men are joining the service in satisfactory numbers .and quality. Lord Swindon, Secretary of State for Air, says that be<tween April, 1935, and the end of March this year the force has taken ,on-940 pilots and just under 15,000 airmen.