AIR DEFENCE OF EMPIRE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20585, 26 November 1936, Page 9

AIR DEFENCE OF EMPIRE

SINGAPORE SQUADRON STRENGTHENED IMPORTANCE OF PATROLj WORK f From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON. October 13. Strength of the Royal Ail' Force at Singapore will be brought up to four squadrons early next month on the arrival from England of the Ave fourengined flying boats of No. 230 Squadron, which are scheduled to begin their journey of more than eight thousand miles to the east from Pembroke Dock to-morrow. One of the three squadrons already on duty at Singapore is armed with flyingboats of similar type; the other two have torpedo-bombing aeroplanes. A fifth squadron is likely to be despatched from England within the next few months, and two more squadrons are being raised locally on a volunteer basis by the recently formed Straits Settlements Air Force. Before long, therefore, Singapore will accommodate seven squadrons of aircraft, in addition to aeroplanes carried in ships of the Far East Station which may be in the vicinity. No. 230 Squadron, which is commanded by Wing-Commander- W. H. Dunn, was formed at Felixstowe in the autumn of 1918 and was engaged on anti-submarine patrol flying till the end of the War. It remained at Felixstowe till May, 1922, when it was trans - fberred to Calshot. It was disbanded in August, 1923. It began to re-form at Pembroke Dock in December, 1934, and has been serving temporarily in the Middle East during the past year. Its present armament consists in Short Singapore 111 biplane boats, designed especially. for open-sea reconnaissance, each of which carries normally a crew of six. Power is supplied by four RollsRoyce Kestrel liquid-cooled motors. The route planned for the flight to Singapore goes by way of Plymouth, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Malta, Aboukir, Basra, Karachi, Allahabad, Calcutta and Mergui. The longest non-stop stage is 920 miles—from Malta to Aboukir—a distance which is well within the scope of boats which carry fuel sufficient for more than a thousand miles and have to their credit the Arst non-stop formation flight between England and Gibraltar.

Dominion Aerodromes Link

First overseas members of the Aerodrome Owners’ Association, representative body in Great Britain of municipal and private aerodrome owners and operators, were elected at the latest meeting of the Association’s Executive Committee. They are the City Council of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and New Plymouth Airport Board, New Zealand. More important still, the Committee accepted an application for affiliation from the Association of Municipal Airports and Aerodromes of South Africa, a move which puts the vigorous and expanding airport system of the great Dominion henceforth in the closest possible touch with developments in thins country. Since the meeting, an. application for membership has been received from Australia. In deciding to admit owners of aerodromes in the British Empire to membership, the Association seeks to promote harmony of operation methods. In Ls nearly three years of existence it has done much to simplify methods of aerodrome control and management in Great Britain. Standards have been drawn up and adopted. Signs easily recognisable by pilots of any nationality have been devised, to Indicate, for example, the customs building or the flying control office. Information of great value has been assembled on every aspect of aerodrome establishment and operation, including considered opinion on knotty points of law and comments on aerodrome lay-out and office organisation. All of this information is embodied in a handbook that is privately circulated among members of the Association. Problems of mutual interest are discussed at frequent meetings of the Executive Committee, which are supplemented by regular meetings of the organisation as a whole. Action is taken on behalf of members on matters of principle. The present home membership of tile Association is 49. Local government authorities which are represented number 33; they include the chief municipal owners and operators of aerodromes i' l Great Britain.