AIR TRAINING CORPS

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 94, 17 October 1941, Page 3

AIR TRAINING CORPS

Wing Commander Nicholls To Be Commandant

APPOINTMENT ANNOUNCED

The appointment of Wing Commander G. A. Nicholls as Commandant of the Air Training Corps was announced yesterday by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones. This follows the recent announcement of the decision to form an Air Training Corps in New Zealand as part of the organization of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A recruiting campaign is being held in each centre in' New Zealand for the enrolment of youths between the ages of IG| and 18 years for training in the corps. .

Wing Commander Nicholls is a Gisborne man who served with the Royal Air Force in the last war. He has since then been closely associated with both service and civil aviation. As a member of the Territorial Air Force, he attended regular training courses till posted to the Reserve of Officers in 1936. He took a prominent part in the development of civil aviation on the East Coast, with the eventual establishment of an . aerodrome at Gisborne and the inauguration of the Gisborne Napier air service.

On the outbreak of war, Wing Com mander Nicholls was called up for service from the reserve and served as adjutant at Rongotai, where the ground training school was first form ed. On the establishment of the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Levin, he hell the appointment of Officer Command ing Ground Training School till Aug ust. 1940. when he was appointed as Administrative Officer at the R.N.Z. A.F. .station, Woodbourne, Blenheim. He relinquishes this appointment t.» take over the duties of Commandant Air Training Corps, at Air Force Headquarters.