DOMINION AIR FORCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 August 1941, Page 8

DOMINION AIR FORCES

MOUNTING STRENGTH A USTItALIA S EFFORT Rugby, Aug. 12. The stead.ly mounting strength of the Dominions is reflected in recent news of the Australian and South African air programmes. Australia's export of aeroplanes in 1942 will exceed £ 12,000,000 in value, with a total production value of £20,000.000, according to Mr John Storey, Commissioner for Aircraft Production. A large percentage of the aircraft produced will be Beaufort medium torpedo bombers, the fastest of their type it.< the world. The opening of additional schools is enabling a constantly increasing number of Australian airmen to be trained in their own country. The ground crews arc now trained entirely in Australia. One-fifth of the pilots and a quarter of the air gunners, observers, and wireless operators still finish their training in Canada under the Air Training Scheme, and sonic are sent to Rhodesia, but these proportions are growing less. Speaking at the coming-of-age of the South African Air Force on Monday, Field-Marshal Smuts said South Africa which started the war with an air force of only one squadron and a total of 1500 pilots and mechanics, to-day had over 2000 pilots and additional personnel of at least 25,000, of which about 3000 were women. In co-operation with the British Government South Africa was building up a far more powerful air force which would involve a total of 50,000 men and women.—B. O. W.