Capt FENNER, Lieut. PARKES and six N.C.O's – all of the PayStaff S.A.A.F. Headquarters – arrived this afternoon to carry out an audit of pay books in the Squadron. This visit is indeed a welcome one as a number of personnel have queries regarding pay which will now have the favour of a direct reply. Many personnel too have completed or almost completed their old paybooks and the issue of the new type of pay books involves a prodigious amount of work when it concerns 2-300 men.
A list reflecting replacements for this squadron from No. 4 relieving draft has been received to-day. This is rather meagre – only seven details of the above-mentioned draft have been allocated to this unit – but it is of course appreciated that there are several other S.A.A.F. units which have been in operations and which have prior claims for replacement of artisan personnel. In order, however, to achieve the maximum of contentment among the ranks, it is hoped that by the time the squadron returns to operations most of those anticipating their Union leave will have been relieved. It will be necessary of course to have with us sufficient experienced personnel to lead the non-operationally experienced ground-staff in operations, but there should be sufficient of these among the personnel sent to the Union to assist in the assembly and maintenance of our Baltimores there and who will be returning here at an early date.