AIR DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 21177, 2 September 1930, Page 5

AIR DEFENCE

- TERRITORIAL FORCE ORGANIZED DOMINION BODY FORMED WING OF FOUR SQUADRONS • (Per United Press Association..) Wellington, September 1. The creation of the territorial branch of the New Zealand Air Force into a wing consisting of four squadrons and the promotion of various officers to wing commander and squadron leaders took place to-day. Under the new scheme the territorial air force ceases to be a more or less formless organization and becomes an organized body embracing the whole of the Dominion. The various squadrons will each have a definite function, two being trained for army co-operation work and the other two becoming bombing squadrons. The officer commanding the wing will be WingCommander K. L. Caldwell, M.C., D.F.C., who has been raised from the rank of squadron leader. Flight lieutenants who are now' squadron leaders are J. Seabrook, A.F.C., M. C. McGregor, D.F.C., N. E. Chandler and P. K. Fowler.

No. 1 squadron -will comprise officers residing in Auckland and Hawkes Bay, haying its headquarters at Auckland. It will be an army operation squadron under the command of Squadron Leader Seabrook. No. 2 Squadron will combine Wellington and Taranaki, headquarters being at Wellington with Squadron-Leader McGregor at the head. It will be a band of bombers. No. 3 Squadron will have headquarters at Christchurch under the* control of Squad-ron-Leader Chandler. Like Wellington it will be a bombing squadron and will include pilots in Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Westland. No. 4 Squadron completes the wing with its centre at Dunedin. It will be an army, co-operation squadron manned by officers of Otago and Southland with Squadron-Leader Fowler as commanding officer. It is hoped by the defence authorities that the territorial air force will go into Wigram aerodrome for a refresher course at the beginning of next year, squadron by squadron. The various squadrons are, of course, divided into flights and these flights have been allotted to towns and cities within the territory of the squadron of which they form a portion. Details of the distribution and commands of the units are as follows:

O.C. Territorial Wing Commander Caldwell, No. 1 army co-operation squadron, Auckland and Hawkes Bay provinces with headquarters- at Auckland. Squadron Leader Seabrook, “A” flight, Auckland; Flight Lieutenant J. D. Hewitt, “B” flight, Hamilton; Flight Lieutenant F. S. Gordon, D.F.C., “C” flight, Napier. Flight Lieutenant T. W. White, No. 2 Squadron (bomber), Wellington and Taranaki provinces with headquarters at Wellington; Squadron Leader McGregor, “A” flight, New Plymouth; Flying-Officer. I. H. N. Keith (acting) “B” flight, Wanganui; Flight Lieutenant S. A. Gibbons, “C” flight, Wellington. Flight Lieutenant G. L. Stedman, No. 3 (Bomber) Squadron, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury and Westland with headquarters at Christchurch; Squadron-Leader Chandler, “A” flight, Blenheim; Flight Lieutenant D. C. Inglis, “B” flight, Christchurch; Flight Lieutenant W. L. Harrison, “C” flight, Timaru. Flight-Lieutenant K. W. J. Hall, No. 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, Otago and Southland with headquarters at Dunedin; Squadron Leader Fowler, “A” flight, Oamaru; “B” flight, Dunedin; “C” flight, Invercargill. Officers not allotted to units will be posted to the nearest flight to places of residence. The New Zealand Air Force will now be similar to the Royal Flying Corps at the commencement of the Great War of four squadrons.