PEACE-TIME ROLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26228, 12 August 1946, Page 9

PEACE-TIME ROLE

THE R.A.F. REGIMENT CONTINUANCE DECIDED ON (Special) LONDON, July 23. The Air Council has reviewed the position of the R.A.F. Regiment, which was created during the war, and has decided that it shall continue as an integral part of the Royal Air Force. The regiment will maintain rifle, armoured and light anti-aircraft squadrons for service at home and overseas. Others will be trained.as airborne and parachute troops, and some personnel will do tours as air gunners. From the almost static nature of its first formation, in February, 1942. the regiment has developed to full mobility, and its squadrons are now equipped' and trained to go anywhere. It would not have been possible for the regiment to have achieved its fine war-time record without the support of the tradesmen and ground crews of the R.A.F. In the difficult days of 1940 and 1941, light anti-aircraft weapons were manned in emergency by station personnel crews in support of the ground gunners, and when the greater part of the regiment went overseas it was on the station personnel that the security of United Kingdom airfields largely depended The station personnel, both at home and overseas, have been, and will continue to be. the R.A.F.’s main ground defence force, and one of the regiment’s most important tasks in the future will be the combat training of the remainder of the Royal Air Force, by providing courses at the regiment depot for all officers and n.c.o/s of the air force, and the provision of regiment instructors on stations.

Other.responsibilities of the regiment will be the provision of weapon and field training instructors at recruit centres: and the provision of officers and n.c.o.’s required for native levies maintained by the R.A.F. overseas, such as those at Iraq and Aden. Men may now poin the regiment direct from civilian life for an initial period of five years, and those now serving who wish to extend their service will be chosen from those suitable for n.c.o rank and re-engage-ment.