Page 4 - Alan John Leslie Ridge

Alan John Leslie Ridge (nickname ‘Jack’) was born on the 9 August 1917 (the youngest twin) at
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2.15am at The Hall, Acomb, Great Ouseburn, just outside the city of York.
The twin’s father, Robert Leslie Ridge was a General Medical Practitioner in Enfield, Middlesex.
Acomb Hall was a Maternity Home where several of Jacks cousins were born, presumably to be
away from the wartime dangers in London.
After leaving school Jack was employed as an engineer but took the Kings shilling and joined the
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Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 28 July 1941, he attending the Aviation Candidate
Selection Board in Birmingham (these Boards were numbered 26, 27 and 28. It is not clear in the
record which Jack attended). Here he undertook a full medical and intelligence examination to
assess his suitability for aircrew duties.
He was issued with a travel Warrant and instructed to return home and await instructions to await
a position in the RAF training system. Jacks stay on the Reserve lasted until the 9 February 1942
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when he was issued with a travel warrant and instructed to attend No. 1 Aircrew Reception Centre
in London. This establishment was based in the Lords cricket ground with messing facilities at
London Zoo and aircrew accommodation occupying maisonettes in the St Johns wood area of the
city. Jack was given the service number No. 1577373, and holding the rank of Aircraftsman (AC2)
was selected for observer/pilot training.

Here Jack would have completed 5 weeks of training and assessments designed to weed out the
aircraftsmen that could not achieve the aircrew grade. If he has failed any of these assessments
then he would have been allocated a ground crew position on one of the hundreds of RAF airfields
and establishments worldwide.
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Having passed this hurdle on the 28 February he was sent to an Aircrew Disposal Wing were he
would be held awaiting a position with a Training Wing. The exact location of the Aircrew Disposal
Wing is not stated in the service record but possibly Brighton as this seaside town was being used
to hold aircrew until they a training position could be found for the recruit.
Jacks stay here was short as on the 21 March he was posted on to No. 7 Initial Training Wing,
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Newquay where he would undertake his basis service training. This training lasted three months
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and on the 30 June Jack having passed out was posted onto a Preliminary Aircrew Dispatch
Centre, then onto No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Woodley, Wokingham,
Berkshire. Both these units were part of No. 50 (Training) Group, this Group responsible for all the
training establishments within RAF Training Command.

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On 20 June Jack was promoted Leading Aircraftsman (LAC).
At Woodley Jack would have undertaken basic flying lessons by the civilian training operator
Phillips & Powis. The training aircraft used to train novice pilots was the RAF standard training
type, the De-Havilland Tiger Moth Biplane.
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This training finished on the 14 August and Jack having attained the pass grade was posted on
to No. 14 Initial Training Wing at Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset for additional pilot training,
covering meteorological and technical aspects which a pilot would need to be proficient in.
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Jacks next posting was to the United States and on the 5 October he sailed for New York from
either Liverpool or Greenock in Scotland on a fast liner. The liner Queen Mary was often used to
transport servicemen and women between the UK and North America, the liners fast speed
making interception by German U boat unlikely. Jack would have then via train travelled to Ponca
City in Oklahoma to begin flying lessons with No. 6 British Flying Training School (B.F.T.S) (as
part of the RAF Delegation, Washington, as stated on his service records). No. 6 B.F.T.S was
operated under contract to the RAF by Harold S Darr, then president of Braniff Airlines, and was
known as the Darr School. Except for a nucleus of RAF staff, all the instructors, ground staff and
supporting staff were American civilians. The aircraft were provided by the U.S.A.A.C, later the
U.S.A.A.F. The RAF staff comprised the Commanding Officer, Administrative Officer and three or
four other Officers, and NCOs for armaments, signals and other specialist training,
discipline and pay.

Training was similar in all B.F.T.S.’s and occupied 28 weeks. Originally, there were three parts;
Primary on Stearman PT17, Basic on Vultee BT13 and Advanced on North American AT6A. From