LEAVE FOR AIRMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25302, 12 August 1943, Page 6

LEAVE FOR AIRMEN

MEN RETURNED FOR DUTY MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. “ The whole question of the granting of leave for members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force who return to New Zealand after having served for approximately three years in the United Kingdom will be given further consideration,” said the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in reply to an urgejit question asked by Mr E. B. Gordon (Oppn., Rangitikei) in the House of Representatives to-day The Minister said that R.N.Z.A.F. men who returned from the United Kingdom for duty were granted 14 days’ leave with travelling warrants to their homes and return to the place of duty. Sometimes m special circumstances the leave was extended beyond this period. This procedure was the same as that adopted in the army for personnel returned for duty. Mr Gordon had drawn the Minister’s attention to the fact that members of the R.N.Z.A.F. who returned from Britain recently after nearly three years of service had been allowed only 10 days’ furlough and no travelling warrant except a ticket home. He asked if the Minister would see that the same treatment was meted out to these men as that accorded to the men of the furlough party who recently returned from overseas.