RNZAF started 1934 or 1937?

[Dave Homewood]

I may be having a brainstorm here, and without going and consulting a book to check, I am certain that the New Zealand Permanent Air Force was renamed the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1934. Am I right?

The Official RNZAF website says 1937, see the story on their front page here
www.airforce.mil.nz/

The 1st of April 1937 was the date that the RNZAF became a seperate service, but it had been the RNZAF for nearly three years prior to that under Army command.

These seven veterans are indeed the oldest living members of the RNZAF, but were not in the NZPAF - there are no living NZPAF men today as far as I know. I interviewed one of these seven recently and he told me about joining up in 1936, which was fascinating.

So, have I got it right? Or should I go and lie down?

[Dave Homewood]

Here's the full Press Release from Scoop
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0511/S00032.htm

Old Recruits Celebrate NZPAF Enlistment
Friday, 4 November 2005, 2:06 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa
Media Release
4 November 2005

Old Recruits Celebrate New Zealand Permanent Air Force Enlistment

The seven surviving members of the original New Zealand Permanent Air Force (NZPAF) will celebrate the 69th Anniversary of their enlistment on 4 November 2005.

The NZPAF became the Royal New Zealand Air Force on 1 April 1937, following the passing of the Air Force Act.

On November 4, 1936 fifty new recruits doubled the strength of the NZPAF.

For one of the surviving members, Wing Commander (retired) John Claydon the memory of reporting for duty hasn’t faded.

“We turned up at the Trentham railway station to report for duty at the Trentham Military Camp for recruit training,” said Wing Commander Claydon

“Trentham's only vehicle was a half ton truck and all our baggage was loaded aboard. Then we formed up and marched into camp along the dusty gravel road. One of the recruits arrived by motor-cycle and he was required to march at the rear, pushing his machine.”

“We were quartered in WW1 huts, 25 to each, with folding, wooden, slatted beds and a WW1 washbasin under the bed for use in the outside open ablutions,” he said.

The planned three-month course was extended to six months while barracks at Wigram were being built.

The survivors are:

36113 Wing Commander J R Claydon. Christchurch. Pilot
36116 Wing Commander K E Fennessy. Hastings. Accountant Officer
36119 Wing Commander J Hardy. Blenheim. Engineer Officer
36123 Squadron Leader J D Hurley Auckland. Engineer Officer
36124 Wing Commander R C Jones Blenheim. Engineer Officer
36128 Warrant Officer J MacIntosh Christchurch. Engineer
36144 Flight Lieutenant K M McGill Christchurch. Equipment Officer

ENDS

[corsair67]

Dave, that's really interesting, as I didn't know about 1934 being the year that the title "Royal New Zealand Air Force" came into being.

I have taken the excepts below from the RNZAF website.


In 1934 King George VI gave permission for the NZPAF to adopt the title Royal New Zealand Air Force.

and

The Government commissioned a review of air defence requirements in 1936 and Englishman Wing Commander the Hon. Ralph A. Cochrane, AFC RAF, was seconded from Britain. Cochrane recommended an Air Force as a separate arm of the Defence Force comprising one Army co-operation and two medium bomber squadrons for local defence, the defence of shipping routes and the security of the United Kingdom.

Cochrane's report was agreed by Government and on passing of the Air Force Act on 1 April 1937, he was asked to remain in New Zealand as the first RNZAF Chief of Air Staff, in the rank of Group Captain. At the same time the Air Department Act came into force, establishing a body responsible for overseeing military and civil aviation interests in New Zealand.


The date 1st April 1937 is when the RNZAF became truly independant so I guess this is why 1937 is classed as the year the RNZAF was 'born'.

[steve]

Interesting.....The King of England granted permission for the Royal title to be used earlier however our parliament and goverment had to approve this before it became law hence ..
1 April 1937....New Zealand although having its own parliament since 1857 did not adopt total independence until 1947 even though by the the fact that UK parliament passed the statue of westminister in 1931 which permitted all old empire countries to go it alone...Similar aspect to the RNZAF ie local parliamentary act was required.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, the RNZAF was born as a stand-alone service in the Defence Force on the 1st of April 1937. But I am certain that the title was used from 1934.

Are you saying it was never used till April 1937 Steve, and it remained called the NZPAF? That's not what i was taught in the RNZAF, but what they told us could be wrong I guess.

[steve]

Now I'm not sure! It was certainly a transitional time and maybe it was used in a general sense under army control like Royal New Zealand Medical Corps, letterhead paper might answer the question...the uniforms would have army up to 1937 ..right??

[steve]

OK I did some more research on this today...(ref...A Short History ..Bentley) Dave you are quite right... the RNZAF came about in 1934 and 1937 was when the existing RNZAF was ratified into NZ law. From 1929 the NZPAF adopted rank titles of the RAF and terminology and from 1931 RAF style uniforms were being issued for special occasions ..well before 1937...interesting assuming the book is correct?

[SEAN]

Here is some bits from the NZAP 212 - A Short History of the RNZAF, that back you and Dave up.

[Dave Homewood]

Thank you guys