WAR TRAINING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24049, 21 August 1941, Page 14

WAR TRAINING

NAVY AND AIR FORCE NEW ZEALANDERS AT WORK PRIME MINISTER'S VISITS (0.C.) LONDON, July 22 The first seven New Zealand pilots to reach England after being trained in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme were introduced to Mr. Peter Eraser, the Prime Minister, when he visited an operational training unit of the Royal Air Force. These pilots are undergoing their final tests in England before beginning operations. Mr. Eraser also met a number of fresh arrivals from New Zealand. During his tour, Mr. Fraser also saw a number of Now Zealand naval ratings, many of them at Plymouth. Ho was the guest of Admiral Sir Charles Forbes and. after a church parade, 1000 men, including 157 New Zealanders, marched past while the Prime Minister took the salute. Royal Marines paraded for the Prime Minister, and the Royal Marines Band was conducted by Major F. J. Ricketts, who was bandmaster of the Argyle and Sutherland .Highlanders Band when it visited the Dunedin Exhibition. For the parade the Royal Marines Band played "Haere Ra" and "Dunedin," both composed by Major Ricketts. New Zealanders who are undergoing instruction in two courses at an elementary flying training school before joining the Fleet Air Arm were inspected by Mr. Fraser when he visited the Midlands. The instructors spoke highly of the New Zealand personnel, confirmation of their praise being found in their training reports. Of 19 New Zealanders in the advanced course, the majority passed out with a considerable, number of flying hours above the minimum number of flying hours required.