DEFENCE FORCES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4817, 31 July 1939, Page 2

DEFENCE FORCES

RAPID EXPANSION. TRAINING OF PILOTS. COSTS INVOLVED. Provision has been made by the Minister of Defence (the Hon., F. Jones) for the rapid expansion of the defence forces of New Zealand. The personnel of the Regular Forces will be increased from 430 to 600 at an initial cost of £12,000 and at an estimated annual expenditure of £45,000. At the same time the peace establishment of officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps and the Royal New Zealand Artillery will be lifted from 96 to 140. The Minister is also anxious to raise the facilities for the training of Air Force pilots to their maximum efficiency with the least possible delay. To this end arrangements have been made to establish two full-scale flying training schools and with this in view he has obtained authority to use the services of a number of officers of the Royal Air Force, who will be in New Zealand on loan for two years. These include one wing commander, two squadron leaders, one flying instructor, one engineer officer, and twenty-four fitters. An expenditure of £15,000 is involved in this arrangement.

More Aeroplanes.

Six Airspeed Oxfords are to be purchased at a cost of over £50,000 to augment the machines of this type that are already in use in New Zea-

land. In addition £119,000 will be spent on the purchase of other aircraft from the United Kingdom. The creation of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station at Blenheim is estimated to cost £94,350f and accommodation required for the Territorial Air Force at Whenuapai involves another £26,000. Additional hangars and facilities needed at Wigram to enable the output of pilots to be lifted from 48 to 80 a year means an expenditure of £67,000, which has already been approved.