New Conditions For Air Force Leave

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1944, Page 5

New Conditions For Air Force Leave

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Da\\ New conditions governing the grant-* ing of leave with pay and allowances to air force personnel on their return from overseas, which are ‘designed to remove existing anomalies and place them on a sinfilar basis to army personnel. were announced today by the Minister for Defence (Hon. F. Jones).

The regulations apply to officers and other ranks who have served with the R.N.Z.A.F. overseas or who were attached to the R.A.F., R.C.A.F.. or R.A.A.F. The ne\v scale covers men returning on termination of one or more tours of duty, on posting, for compassionate reasons, for discharge, whether on medical grounds or otherwise, for release to civil life by transfer to reserve, or as repatriated or escaped prisoners of war. including protected personnel. Mr. Jones said that provided they had completed not less than three years' service or one tour of operations (other than in the Pacific), personnel returning from overseas would be entitled to 91 days' leave. Where the period of service was less than six months, leave for non-flying personnel would not exceed 14 days except with ■ the approval of the Minister for Defence. Air crew would be granted a minimum of 14 days. Where personnel had served over six months, they would be entitled to two days’ leave for every month of service abroad with a minimum of 28 days' leave and 1 a maximum of 91 days. No repatriated or escaped prisoners of war would be re-embarked from New Zealand within 91 days of disembarkation. For the purpose of these regulations, leave would commence the day after arrival at a leave destination. The period of overseas service would commence from the date of embarkation in New Zealand and would be calculated to the nearest month. Where men returned after being wounded three or more times, and provided they were Grade 1, they would be retained in New Zealand on duty after the expiration of leave for such a period as would ensure that they spent at least six months in New Zealand. The Minister added that the scheme did not apply to personnel returning from temporary attachment or temporary duty. It would be retrospective to April 19. so that personnel returned since then would qualify. Scale of Allowances

Mr. Jones said that personnel returned to New Zealand for direction into essential industry would be granted only 28 days of any leave to which they were entitled, the balance being credited for granting if recalled for service or on final termination of service. If they were not recalled, pay and allowances in lieu of the balance would be paid when the pay account was finalised. The Minister said that full pay and subsistence allowance at the rate of 4/6 a day would be paid for the total period of both leave and travelling time. Free rail for personnel within New Zealand would be provided for personnel with wives, except that wives of air crew personnel would be entitled to only one free rail pass each 12 months. Mothers of single men would be entitled to only one free rail pass every 12 months. Personnel discharged or transferred to reserve might use their free pass any time within 12 months of discharge or transfer, but personnel directed to essential industry would be required to use their rail pass during the actual period of 28 days’ leave unless there were particularly good reasons for not using il during that period. «-