Page 5 - John Francis Ryan

Pilots who successfully completed this course were posted to an S.F.T.S in either Australia
or Canada for the next stage of their instruction as military aviators. This unit operated the
R.A.A.F basic trainer, the de Havilland Tiger Moth Biplane. Whilst this type was a British
design the Tiger Moths used by the Royal Australian Air Force would have been built at the
de Havilland assembly plant at Bankstown, Sydney. In total 1070 airframes were constructed
in Australia during hostilities, with several batches that were exported, including 18 for the
U.S.A.A.F and 41 for the Royal Indian Air Force (R.I.A.F)

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John held the rank of Aircraftman during his initial training. On the 27 February 1943 having
completed this part of his aircrew training, John was promoted Leading Aircraftsman (LAC). Then
posted on to RAAF Mallala, 36 miles North of Adelaide. The unit at this station being
No. 6 Service Flying Training School, (6 S.F.T.S) the aircraft on charge here were the twin-
engine Avro Anson and Airspeed Oxfords (Known to crews as the ʻOx Boxʼ) for initial twin
training. After eight hours dual training and six hours solo in the Oxford, John moved on to the
Avro Anson. The increase in power, comfort and space in both these aircraft, without the
constant noise and blast of the wind, allowed John to develop his skills of flying and navigation.

As a novice pilot, John’s time was spent in cross country flights honing his flying and navigation
skills. By the end of the course John would have flown a further 25 hours of dual instruction
and 64 hours solo, John passing out as a pilot and awarded his Wings on the
21 October 1943 and promoted Sergeant.
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Thus, this part of his pilot training completed, John and his fellow pilots (30 to 40 in number) were
first posted to No.1 Embarkation Depot at Ascot Vale, Sydney and then to No. 2 Embarkation
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Depot, Lindfield, Sydney, embarked on the 12 December 1943 from Sydney harbour on the troop
Ship Willard A. Holbrooke en-route to the UK, via the United States. This troop ship sailing
independently of any convoy or escort due to its fast speed of 17 knots, thus able to outrun both
submarines and their torpedoes. The troop ship conveyed John and the rest of his pilot intake
across the Southern Pacific Ocean to the USA, the Holbrooke berthing in San Francisco rather
than going the more dangerous route via the Indian and South Atlantic route.

John, travelling across the USA by train via Chicago and Philadelphia arriving at Penn station,
New York. The group of pilots were given two weeks leave to enjoy the sights of New York, John
writing a letter to his father on his experiences, the letter is seen further in this book. From New
York John sailed to the UK on the requisioned French Liner the ÍƖe de France arriving in the UK at
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Greenock, a port to the West of Glasgow in Scotland on the 26 January 1944. All of the pilots
travelling from Glasgow’s Queen Street railway station to Brighton via Bristol
(Temple Meads) railway station then, again by train to Brighton. John, along with his fellow pilots
including Peter Sattler, who would also be a pilot at Fiskerton with 576 Squadron and Leslie
Richardson who was posted to 170 Squadron at Hemswell, were all posted to No. 11 (RAAF)
Personnel Disposal and Reception Centre (P.D.R.C) at Brighton on the South coast of the UK.
This Australian manned unit, charged with the administration and processing of personnel
selected for training and military service in the UK.

John and his fellow pilots were accommodated in the Grand Hotel on Brighton’s seafront awaiting
movement orders and their training within No. 7 Group, Bomber Command. This new Group, an
amalgamation of all the Command’s Group training units since late 1944 had been tasked to
oversee all aspects of aircrew training within the Command.
Brighton, had being since the start of the war one of the many seaside towns used by Bomber
Command in the south of the UK to accommodate and train new recruits. The other hotels known
to have accommodated airmen were the Metropole, Royal Albion, Lion Mansion and the Abbots
Hotels. The Brighton aquarium was also requisitioned for aircrew accommodation.