NEW ZEALANDER IN CHARGE

Southland Times, Issue 24420, 28 April 1941, Page 6

NEW ZEALANDER IN CHARGE

INSPECTION OF AMERICAN PLANES FOR BRITAIN

What must be one of the most responsible positions connected with Britain’s war effort held by a New Zealander is that of chief inspector for the British Air Commission. It is held by Mr A. E. Marsden, brother of Mr A. Marsden, 26 Oriental Terrace, Wellington. Mr Marsden has to approve all material sent to the British Air Ministry from America. He must see that quality is maintained. With his headquarters in Washington, he travels throughout North America, working 14 hours a day seven days a week, as he, and the staff which he picked personally, keeps a check on what has been described as the “avalanche of American aid to Britain.” Recently he approved the 1000th Harvard trainer turned out by North American Aviation, Incorporated, to be used for advanced combat training in the Empire Air Training Scheme in Canada. At the factory, in Southern California, he was photographed “thumbs up” in front of the machine before it was flown to Canada. Mr Marsden left Christchurch for England in 1913, taking up a position with Vickers Ltd., the well-known armament manufacturers. Before the Great War had been long in progress he was transferred to the Air Ministry, and there he has remained ever since. His job in the last war was chief inspector of the Scottish aircraft factories, a task very similar to, but much smaller than, his present one. Between the wars he approved all aircraft production for the Royal Air Force.