AIR DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23811, 18 May 1939, Page 12

AIR DEFENCE

DEVELOPMENT IN NEW ZEALAND LARGE EXPENDITURE INVOLVED OUTLINE BY MINISTER The fact that the development programme for the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the year:? 1937-38 to 1940-41 involved an expenditure of £3,698,590 was stated in an interview with this Daily Times hist night by this Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones. This programme, the Minister said, included this conversion of the two small Air Force stations at Wigram aerodrome, Christchurch, and

at Hobsonville, Auckland, into a modern flying training school and a stores and repair depot respectively, the construction of new stations at Ohakea and Whenuapai for medium bomber squadrons of Vickers Wellington aircraft, end the building of a third station at Blenheim for a single-engine bomber squadron. Territorial Air Force In addition to these developments, Mr Jones continued, the programme included considerable increases in the buildings and equipment of the Territorial Air Force, the units of which were located at the four main centres—Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. This involved the provision of city headquarters for these units, hangars for the squadron aircraft and accommodation for the permanent personnel employed with the units. Provision had also been made for the establishment of three detached flights at New Plymouth, Hastings and Invercargill, which also called for the construction of small hangars for the service aircraft to be used at these centres. The Minister outlined the progress at Wigram aerodrome on the lines of the statement published yesterday. He added that at Hobsonville an expenditure of £282,000 has been approved. Two of the main store buildings were almost completed, and an aircraft repair shop, new station headquarters and additional barrack accommodation, were in the course of construction. An explosives stores area had been developed at this station costing about £ 27,000, and the bomb stores and component stores had now been completed. Contracts for general engineering shops, engine repair shops, additional main stores, officers and warrant officers’ messes, and further married quarters would be let in the near future. Medium Bomber Stations “ The first of the two new medium bomber stations to be developed has been at Ohakea, to which station the first flights of the Wellington aircraft will be posted,” the Minister continued. “The estimated cost of this station is £507,000, and it is expected that it will be ready for occupation by August of this year. Satisfactory progress has been made in the preparation of the flying field, 170 acres of which will be fully grassed by early spring of this year, and the construction of the major buildings is nearing completion. The hangars, of which there are two, each hangar measuring 220 feet by 160 feet, are of the concrete arch construction, which is unique in the southern hemisphere. The estimated cost of these two hangars complete with annexes is £160,000. Barrack blocks for airmen which will cost approximately £84,000 are expected to be completed by August of this year. The officers’ mess, which will cost £27,000, will be completed in July, and a contract has recently been let for the erection of 31 houses for the married personnel who live on this station. “At Whenuapai, the second medium bomber station, considerable progress has now been made with the development of the flying field, and the erection of two concrete hangars and the airmen’s barracks. In the case of this station, foundation difficulties have caused an increase in the cost of the major buildings, the price of the two hangars having risen by another £40,000. Contracts for other buildings are under consideration at the present time, anciit is expected that the tender for the officers’ mess will be let in the near future. The estimated date for completion of this station is June, 1940.”

Supply of Aircraft The Minister said that each of the territorial air squadrons at Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin was being provided with large timber hangars of the standard type measuring 265 feet by 140 feet, certain other smaller technical buildings and accommodation for permanent personnel. The cost of (his programme, including the provision of buildings for territorial flights at New Plymouth, Hastings and Invercargill, amounted to nearly £200,000. Hangars were now under construction at North Taieri aerodrome, Christchurch, and Auckland. The buildings at New Plymouth, Hastings and Invercargill would be provided in time for the aircraft they were intended to house. Dealing with the Government’s plans for the supply of aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Mr Jones said that the purchase of aircraft, spares, and equipment, at a total cost of £962,000 had been approved last year, and the first Wellington bomber had been delivered to the New Zealand Government in England a week or two ago. Five more would be delivered before the end of May, and these six would be flown from England shortly. Four subsequent flights of six machines would be brought to New Zealand during the next 12

months, and these aircraft would be stationed at Ohakea and Whenuapai. Provision had also been made for the necessary reserves of aircraft and equipment to enable the Air Force to carry out its mobilisation programme. More than 100 aircraft of the single-enged bi-plane type would arrive in the Dominion during the next 12 months, Mr Jones added, and these would be used both for training and reserve purposes.