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(i) Returned from Abroad. The following have returned from abroad : — Major W. I. K. Jennings, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C., from the Imperial Defence College, England. Major L. Potter, N.Z.S.C., from exchange in India. Captain L. M. Isitt, N.Z.P.A.F., from Air Force course in England. Captain G. B. Parkinson, R.N.Z.A., from Artillery courses in England. Captain R. S. Park, R.N.Z.A., from Artillery courses in England. Captain J. G. C. Wales, M.C., N.Z.S.C., from exchange in India. Captain J. I. Brooke, N.Z.S.C., from exchange in India. Captain R. J. D. Davis, N.Z.S.C., from small-arms courses in England. N.Z. Permanent Forces. OTHER RANKS. Enlistments. To make good wastage due to retirements the following numbers have been enlisted into the various units during the year : N.Z. Permanent Staff, 15 ; Royal N.Z. Artillery, nil; N.Z. Permanent Air Force, 2 ; N.Z. Permanent Army Service Corps, 2 ; N.Z. Army Ordnance Corps, 6 ; N.Z. Army Pay Corps, 1 ; General Duty Section, 4. Enlistments have been confined to young men, and lam very pleased with the fine type that has been available to choose from. The type of man and his standard of efficiency are very high in the Permanent Forces, and our non-commissioned officers in the instructional branches particularly will, 1 think, compare favourably with non-commissioned officers from any part of the Empire. Samoa Military Police. A new unit of the Permanent Forces, the Samoa Military Police, was raised during the year, and consists of three officers and seventy-one other ranks. The three officers and five warrant and non commissioned officers were seconded to this Force from the N.Z. Staff Corps, N.Z. Permanent Staff, and N.Z. Permanent Army Service Corps. The remainder were newly enlisted. Though hastily raised and despatched, the men selected for this Force were a very good type. 3. Air Services. (a) N.Z. Permanent Air Force. The strength of the N.Z. Permanent Air Force is five officers and sixteen other ranks, an increase of two other ranks over that of last year. Air co-operation has been carried out with the Territorial Land Forces of the Southern Command, the total flying-time involved being twenty-three hours. In addition to normal co-operation duties troops were practised in concealment from air observation, and a number of photographs taken by the Air Force to assist in the detection and elimination of faults in the use of cover and camouflage. Air survey work has again, been carried out, chiefly in the neighbourhood of Christchurch, the authorities of which city are making extensive use of the mosaics for town-planning purposes. Landing-grounds and a base of operations have been inspected and selected for the conduct of an extensive air survey of portions of the Sounds district in the vicinity of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau on behalf of the Hydro-electric Branch of the Public Works Department. Owing to the late arrival of special photographic equipment it has been decided to postpone this work until midsummer, when the sun will be at its greatest altitude, and ensure the best results over such mountainous country. The small staff at Wigrain Aerodrome was heavily taxed by the large amount of instructional work necessitated by the ab initio training of Cadet pilots in addition to the normal maintenance duties. The experience gained emphasizes the necessity for additional staff, both for flying duties and for ground instruction by specialists. To meet the former need arrangements have been made to temporarily enlist the services of a flying instructor, drawn from the N.Z. Air Force (Territorial), for the duration of the next training-period, whilst the use of Territorial Air Force mechanics on maintenance and other duties will, in some measure, free the permanent staff for instructional work. Captain L. M. Isitt, who has been under instruction with the Royal Air Force, specializing in seaplane work and instructional duties, returned to the Dominion at the end of February, and after a short period of attachment at Wigram Aerodrome has been posted to Hobsonville Aerodrome as Officer Commanding that station. (b) N.Z. Air Force (Territorial). The strength of this unit now stands at ninety-five officers, nine Cadet pilots under instruction, and twenty other ranks. As forecast in my previous report, the ab initio training of pilots has been undertaken during the past year. Applications were called for by advertisement in the newspapers throughout the Dominion, and there were some three hundred applications for the ten vacancies. The training course commenced on the 26th November, 1927, and concluded on the 3rd March, 1928, with a break from the 17th December to the 9th January. After undergoing a certain amount of training one Cadet was found to be temperamentally unfit for flying, and was withdrawn from the class. The remainder showed marked keenness and ability, and if they maintain their present promise should make efficient pilots on completion of the next course.

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