CHANGES IN AIR DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 23548, 30 June 1938, Page 5

CHANGES IN AIR DEFENCE

Territorial Force To Be Doubled

REORGANIZATION at MINISTRY

(British Official Wireless) (Received June 29, 6.30 p.m.)

RUGBY, June 28.

Important changes in the anti-air-craft defence organization, including the doubling of the territorial antiaircraft personnel,, were announced in the House of Commons by the Secretary for War (Mr L. Hore-Belisha). “In 1935 the entire responsibility for anti-aircraft defence at home was vested in the Territorial Army,” he said. “At that time the actual strength of the air defence formations in the Territorial Army was under 2000, all ranks. On January 1, 1936, the first anti-aircraft division was formed; its strength at the beginning of 1936 was 5200, all ranks. By the beginning of January 1937 the second anti-aircraft division was formed; its strength was just under 7000. By the present month of this year the total strength of the two divisions has risen to 43,000.

“It is ‘ now proposed to more than double this figure. The existing territorial anti-aircraft units, with the addition of others about to be created, will be formed into five divisions instead of two. “These five divisions will be under a corps commander with the rank of lieutenant-general, who will be responsible for training. He will be responsible to the air officer commanding the fighter command for operations. At the War Office an officer with the status of a deputy-chief Imperial general, to be designated Deputy-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Anti-Air-craft Defence, will be appointed. He will be responsible, through the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to the Secretary of State for anti-aircraft defence, and he will devote his whole time to this important service. “Under the Deputy-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Anti-Aircraft Defence, a new director of anti-aircraft training and organization, with the rank of major-general, will be appointed. The purpose of the reorganization is to secure that undivided attention may be given to every aspect and detail of anti-aircraft defence.” Replying to a question, Mr HoreBelisha indicated that he expected no difficulty in obtaining the necessary additional recruits. They would be furnished with appropriate equipment, and he observed that the rate of production of guns at present was “quite remarkable.” The result of the changes announced by Mr Hore-Belisha is that the air officer commanding-in-chief of the fighter command will be in operational control of all measures of defence against attack by aircraft

IMPORTANT SECRET DIVULGED COURT OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 28. The War Office announces that the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command has been instructed by the Army Council to cause a court of inquiry to be assembled immediately to inquire into the circumstances in which a disclosure of highly secret information about the anti-air-craft defences came to be made. The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) stated in the House of Commons that a Select Committee was being formed to inquire into the privileges of members of the House of Commons under the Official Secrets Act.