Territorial Air Force (New Zealand)

What was required was a more formal structure and, in August 1930, the Territorial Air Force, or TAF, was formed, based on squadrons of aircraft led by permanent staff.[5] It was not until 1934 that the first aircraft dedicated to the Territorial Air Force were made available, initially transferred from New Zealand Permanent Air Force stocks.[6] It was also in 1934 that the Permanent Air Force was renamed the Royal New Zealand Air Force or RNZAF, although the TAF remained in the New Zealand Air Force.[7] Despite this, the TAF remained essentially a paper force until the arrival of twelve second-hand aircraft from Britain in 1937.[8] These aircraft were based at the aerodrome outside Wellington, and were accompanied by an additional three that acted as spares. The choice of second-hand examples was for financial prudence, although low hour airframes were chosen to ensure the aircraft could operate for a reasonable time in service.[2]

Expansion then was rapid. In the run up to the Second World War, the Air Board utilised the Territorial Air Force as a channel to increase the intake of pilots, particularly taking those already involved in civil aviation and members of aero clubs.[6] An Auckland Territorial Squadron based at Hobsonville was founded in June 1938 and the first aircraft arrived at Wigram to serve the unit at Christchurch in the following September. By March 1939, the TAF included 18 officers and 96 airmen based in Wellington, 17 and 92 respectively in Christchurch and 20 and 77 based in Auckland. A fourth squadron, at Dunedin, was authorised at the same time but did not yet exist.[9] With the declaration of war on Germany by the United Kingdom, which due to an existing treaty meant that New Zealand was also at war, the Territorial Air Force was fully mobilised. The Auckland and Christchurch squadrons started training almost immediately, the latter particularly including anti-submarine warfare in its regime. The Wellington Squadron moved to a new aerodrome at Blenheim three days later to do the same.[10] Discussions were had in April 1939 about expanding this further.[11] Instead, the units was absorbed into the regular air force, the RNZAF, and the personnel moved to active roles.[12]

Towards the end of the war, the future of the Territorial Air Force was discussed and, in 1945, Air Commodore Arthur Neville produced a report recommending a large network of Territorial Air Force stations across the country.[13] In December 1948, the TAF was revived with four squadrons of training aircraft, based at Auckland, Canterbury, Otago and Wellington.[14] The squadrons were later equipped with fighters which also performed ground attack duties.[12] In 1952, a fifth squadron, numbered six, was added, equipped for maritime reconnaissance.[15] Increasing financial pressure, and the reduction in the need for defence spending, meant that the flying squadrons of the TAF were disbanded on 31 July 1957.[16]

A North American P-51 Mustang in the markings of the TAF's Canterbury squadron

The Royal New Zealand Air Force retained a reserve unit after the TAF flying squadrons were disbanded. One key responsibility was to provide the musicians that formed the Air Force Band, a service that the TAF had performed since 1935 apart from a hiatus between 1940 and 1945.[17][18] In 1982, the report of the Naval Board of the Defence Council for the period 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1982 wrote that "as in previous years the Territorial Air Force continued to provide for Air Traffic Control appointments and to man the RNZAF’s band."[19] It also spoke of non-regular force squadrons that were to be established at each RNZAF base, which were never actually formed. In 1984, RNZAF reserve personnel included 201 territorial members, each of which served 7 weeks and 20 days a year.[20] The band was one of only three military bands that were retained in 2012.[21]