John Ayliffe DFC: Early SA Railways/Depression Era/WW2
Posted on: Mon 18 Jul 2022
Before signing up with the Air Force in WWII, John Ayliffe had started work as an Office Youth with SA Railways. He recalls when there were around 1,000 people working in the Peterborough Railway workshops with 100 trains per day in and out of Peterborough. Listening to the wireless with football mates he heard Robert Menzies’ announcement about WWII being declared.
John was 21 when he joined the RAAF. Off to Parafield for elementary flying training then off to Canada for service flying and torpedo bombing training, then into service in the hazardous North Sea zones.
His immediate post war experiences included rubbing shoulders with the likes of Vivien Leigh, Stewart Grainger and Michael Rennie.
John’s Dad, previously a Tailor by trade worked at the Islington Railway Workshops making parts for Beaufort Bombers, the main general reconnaissance-strike bomber for the RAAF in the South West Pacific theatre during the Second World War.
Photo. Copyright expired: 1942 Group portrait of No 4 Initial Training School, RAAF Course 23 B Sqn Flight 11. Centre row third from left J.C. Ayliffe. For full details see AWM
John Colin Ayliffe DFC passed away 12th January 2022 aged 102. Vale John.
Lest we forget.
