SCIENTIFIC CORPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27096, 2 June 1949, Page 8

SCIENTIFIC CORPS

DOMINION DEFENCE SYSTEM FIVE APPLICANTS CHOSEN HIGH QUALIFICATIONS PA WELLINGTON, June 1. Five men have been selected as the 1949 entrants into the New Zealand Defence Scientific Corps, the Minister of Defence Mr Jones, and the Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr McCombs, announced to-day. The Ministers expressed pleasure that the response of well-qualified applicants for the first entry last year had been maintained this year. The successful applicants are Mr R. M. Allan, B.E. (hons.); Mr C. S. Grace, M.Sc. (hons. in physics); Mr A. C. Kibblewhite, B.Sc.; Mr R. D. McDonald, M.Sc. (hons. in physics); and Mr P. M. Nottingham, M.Sc. (hons. in chemistry). The group comprises the 1949 entrants to the corps, and applications will be called in November next for the 1950 entrants.

The applicants now selected are undergoing service training for a period of up to 12 months, and selected courses of study have been decided for them upon completion of their service training. These ' studies will occupy up to two years of their initial five-year appointment to the corps. Upon completion of their advanced scientific training they will be attached to defence research establishments either in New Zealand,_ the United Kingdom, or elsewhere in the Commonwealth.

Flying Officer R. M. Allan, who is a graduate of the Auckland University College, is about to enter the RNZAF. During his period in the corps he will be particularly concerned with aeronautics. He has recently been undertaking advanced fundamental research on the effect of rain on aircraft performance, under the guidance of Professor T. D. J. Leech.

Sub-lieutenant C. S. Grace completed his degree at the Otago University last year, his thesis dealing with the study of nuclear particles by the use of photographic emulsions. He has already entered the Royal New Zealand Navy, and has been spending his service training period at sea prior to undertaking advanced study _ and research on under-water physics. Sub-lieutenant A.'C. Kibblewhite, a graduate of Canterbury University College, will be entering the corps in August after completion of his thesis, which will involve work on the ionisation potentials of gases. He will enter the Royal New Zealand Navy, and will make a special study of underwater physics. „ TJ Flying Officer R. D. McDonald completed his degree last year at the Otago University, and for his thesis undertook special work on a radio frequency hydrogen ion source. He has just entered the RNZAF and his duties in the corps will be on the lines of radar and other electronic work. Lieutenant Peter Maxwell Nottingham, a graduate of Canterbury University College, is about to enter the army.' While in the corps he will concentrate on food research work, where his training in organic chemistry at Canterbury College will be of great value.