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Formation of New Zealand Squadron in Royal Air Force. Early this year the Government agreed to the expansion of the New Zealand flight in the United Kingdom into a full Bomber Squadron to be equipped with Wellington aircraft. This unit is to be manned as far as possible by New-'Zealanders serving with the Royal Air Force. Specialist and maintenance personnel will be provided in the meantime from Royal Air Force sources. When the requirements of the training organization in New Zealand have been met maintenance personnel will be dispatched to the United Kingdom to replace Royal Air Force personnel serving in this unit. Works and Building Programme. The construction of the two permanent Stations at Ohakea and Whenuapai for the Wellington medium bomber squadrons proceeded in accordance with the original plans, and by September, 1939, some twenty months after commencement of work, Ohakea was nearing completion, and the development of Whenuapai, on which building had commenced twelve months previously, was well in hand. Some delay has been experienced with the concrete hangars at this Station, which will not be completed until July and October, 1940. The expansion programme approved by the Government in April, 1939, involved a further increase in the size of the Flying Training School, Wigram, and the conversion of the Squadron Station, Blenheim, into a large Flying Training School. On the outbreak of war the only two Stations which were occupied, and functioning as such, were the Flying Training School at Wigram and the Depot at Hobsonville. Other Stations at Ohakea, Whenuapai, Blenheim, and Taieri had reached varying stages of completion. The new building programme required to meet the war training organization was commenced early in September. This involved the following urgent works (а) The conversion of the small Station at Taieri into an Elementary Flying Training School. (б) The construction of a new Elementary Flying Training School at New Plymouth. (e) The preparation of accommodation at Hobsonville, Blenheim, and Christchurch for the three Territorial Squadrons which were mobilized. No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School at Taieri was completed and manned within six weeks after the outbreak of war, and No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School at New Plymouth within nine weeks. This work reflects the greatest credit on the Public Works organization. It was only accomplished by decentralizing control to District Offices and letting works to suitable contractors on a cost plus commission basis. Further works were commenced at all Stations to accommodate the increased numbers of personnel and additional aircraft required. The Boys' Training Farm at Weraroa, Levin, was made available by the Education Department at short notice for use as a Ground Training School, additional buildings were erected, and the Station occupied in October, .1.939. A commencement was made early in December on the new Flying Training School at the Christchurch Municipal Aerodrome (Harewood). The introduction of the Empire Air Training Scheme in December made it again necessary to recast the building programme. The increased commitments are being met by expanding existing Stations to their utmost capacity rather than by the formation of new Stations. This has resulted in a large saving in capital cost and an appreciable reduction in the numbers of trained personnel required for manning these Stations. At the same time the vast amount of detailed modification to technical buildings necessitated by these successive expansions has thrown a heavy strain on the design and works staffs. Furthermore, it has been found most difficult to exipand essential services such as sewerage, water-supply, storm-water drainage, power and fire services at the same rate as the buildings for the accommodation of personnel, and some delay has been inevitable. The types of technical buildings and the standards of accommodation provided at the Air Force Stations fall into two distinct classes. The first covers the original peace-time programme, and the second all subsequent building. The original programme was limited to a Flying Training School at Wigram, a Stores Depot at Hobsonville, and two Bomber Squadron stations at Ohakea and Whenuapai. The buildings required for these units have been under construction over the past two years in permanent materials (generally of concrete), and the standard of accommodation has been based on that provided overseas. In the case of airmen, the standard is somewhat higher than that provided in the Royal Air Force. On the other hand the officers' accommodation is not so good. The buildings constructed both before and after the outbreak of war to meet subsequent expansions of the Air Force have all been constructed of wood to standard mobilization type designs. Hangars measuring 256 ft. by 125 ft. designed in wood and covered with locally fabricated asbestos have been adopted as a standard, and twelve of this type have now been erected. A total of forty-two standard hutments each housing eighty-four airmen in open dormitories, or eighty N.C.O.'s in cubicles (two to a cubicle), or forty officers, have been erected at the various Stations. These hutments, messes, and offices are all constructed of wood, lined internally with New Zealand plaster board. Married quarters have been provided at permanent Air Force Stations only, and the numbers are limited to the original peace establishments. The scale is 6 per cent, of the original establishment of junior ranks and the normal expectancy of married personnel in senior non-commissioned and commissioned rank who are serving on long-term engagements. A total of 144 quarters have been provided at the permanent Stations, Hobsonville, Whenuapai, Ohakea, and Wigram. In the case of Blenheim seven quarters have been provided on the Station, and eighteen State houses are being erected in the Town of Blenheim. No married quarters have been provided at Harewood, Levin, New Plymouth, or Taieri.

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