PACIFIC WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25797, 19 March 1945, Page 4

PACIFIC WAR

NEW CALL FOR AIRMEN

REQUIREMENTS OF ALLIED

COMMAND

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 17. An early need for volunteers to be trained as aircrew for the R.N.Z.A.F. was forecast to-day by the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, who said that the everchanging conditions of war resulted in many unavoidable alterations in the demands upon New Zealand by the Supreme Allied Command.

There was clearly visible a forthcoming need for prospective fighter pilots, navigators, wireless operator-air-gunners, and air gunners between 18 and 23J years of age, Mr Jones said. The majority of the men recently returned from Canada, who were largely potential bomber crews, could not be diverted to become fighter pilots, as exhaustive tests had shown a marked difference between the characteristics required for bomber crews. What fighter pilots were among the men returned from Canada would be used, but additional requirements would have to be met from the fit young men of New Zealand in the right age group. . . "We will need to take in about bO men a month towards the middle of this year, increasing to 100 a month towards the end of the year to secure an adequate output of trained fighter pilots and other aircrew for our present and future squadrons,” said Mr Jones. “These men are intended for service against the Japanese.” Mr Jones 'also announced a change in the educational training system for aircrew volunteers.