Education

Throughout his service Lyall flew Tiger Moths, Boomerangs, Wirraways and KittyHawks. We heard previously how his efforts to join the Army were thwarted by his civilian employer…    Lyall’s reaction to that was “well, if I can’t be in the Army, I’ll join the Air Force!”…  and he did!  He enlisted in the Air Training Corps at age 17, for entry into the RAAF at age 18.  Australia was deeply engulfed in WW2.

Lyall’s story covers aspects of our military history seldom heard.  Many towns and localities throughout WA, SA, Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Queensland are mentioned, as well as areas in New Guinea, Borneo and Indonesia, where Lyall flew during the war. 

We take up Lyall and Christine’s interview where Lyall is harking back to his training experiences, telling Christine and listeners about a very hairy night training session from RAAF Base Deniliquin in New South Wales to Echuca in Victoria and return….   then we head off to New Guinea.      

Photo provided by Lyall and used with permission: No 4 Squadron RAAF Gusap New Guinea 1944 L to R Lt John Featherston Hough (Adelaide) Army Liaison Officer; F/O Sid Hooper (Melbourne); F/O Lyall Ellers (Perth. Later settled in South Australia)