H—37

Casualties Particulars of casualties to personnel both overseas and in New Zealand are tabulated at Appendix C of this report. Training Organization {a) Flying T mining.—The termination of the Empire Training Scheme on the 31st March, 1945, and the consequent need to train only to meet Pacific requirements, resulted in the Flying Training Organization being greatly reduced prior .to the cessation of hostilities in Europe. The Aircrew Grading School and the Initial Training Wing at Taieri, and the Elementary Flying Training School at Harewood, ceased training on the 21st July, 1945. These two stations finally closed on the 30th September, 1945. The Service Flying Training School at "Wigram progressively reduced training until finally ceasing on the 24th November, 1945. The Central Flying School moved from Woodbourne to Wigram on the 3rd September, 1945, thus consolidating all flying training activities at Wigram. Pending the recommencement of a Peacetime Flying Training Programme, the Central Flying School was reorganized to carry out short refresher flying courses for officers out of flying practice, including ex prisoners of war, and to rehabilitate other pilots prior to their discharge from the Service. During the war the R.N.Z.A.F. trained a total of 13,158 aircrew in New Zealand. (b) Technical Training.—With the ending of hostilities it was decided to move the wartime Technical Training School at Nelson to its post-war home at Hobsonville, and to consolidate ground training at Hobsonville and Wigram, technical training being carried out at the former unit and electrical and wireless training at the latter. Nelson was finally closed in November, 1945. Electrical and wireless training ceased at Wigram with effect from 23rd February, 1946, and short courses for wireless operator aircrew were commenced, for rehabilitation purposes. The war called for a high technical standard in many different specialized fields in the Air Force, and during the war the R.N.Z.A.F. produced over 20,000 trained men in forty-eight different principal trades. Insistence on a high standard of training and rigid trade tests resulted in a high standard of technical maintenance, which was the subject of most favourable comment overseas. (c) General Service Training Training to fit men for overseas service ceased on the Japanese surrender, and Swanson closed down on the 31st August, 1945; the training of recruits at Harewood also ceased on this date. Recruit training for the Interim Air Force commenced at Hobsonville and Wigram on the 25th March, 1946. Each depot is established to train recruits on a three weeks' general service course, the total weekly output being 134 men. The normal length of these courses has been reduced to meet the urgent need for replacements within the Service. Flying Control The system of communications built up by the R.N.Z.A.F. for the operational control of the Air Force has been partially handed over to a R.N.Z.A.F. Flying Control Service, which exercises control over all air movements in accordance with the procedure laid down by International Regulation. The Service operates from five control centres and seventeen control towers throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific, and employs ninety-seven R.N.Z.A.F. controllers and staff. This service is to be established on a civilian basis as soon as practicable.

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