No. 6 Service Flying Training School RAAF

Aerial views of Mallala airfield and No. 6 SFTS

Brief History

This unit was established in Mallala, South Australia on 25 Aug 1941. Early operations were suspended until the airfield could be made serviceable following very heavy rain. Rain, fog, and strong winds would regularly delay or curtail flying operations. The first three Avro Anson aircraft arrived on 10 Sep 1941, and another six, two days later. Flying training commenced on 23 Sep 1941 and 2,178 trainees were to graduate before training ceased in September 1945.

In addition to training, the unit provided aircrew for No. 70 (Reserve) Squadron and undertook co-operation exercises with Army units over Adelaide. Five aircraft from the unit crashed with the loss of 7 lives before training ceased on 1 Jan 1946.

Staff

• Helen (Nell) Hart 26 Oct 1944 - 17 Sep 1945

Ground Crew

• Harold Gordon Unwin 13 Oct 1941 - 30 Jul 1942
• Albert Ernest Jolly 28 Aug 1941 - 6 Sep 1942
• Angus Lenard Hurley 8 Nov 1941 - 7 Oct 1942
• Vernon Wallace Marsh 27 Jan - 3 May 1942
• Arthur George Berry 5 Aug 1942 - 11 Jan 1943
• Frederick Mervyn Cross 27 Nov 1942 - 20 Jun 1945
• Cyril Charles Cross 31 Dec 1942 - 19 Jul 1944
• Alexander Cumming 24 Aug 1943 - 9 May 1944
• Kevin David Anderson 25 Oct - 21 Dec 1943
• Stewart Chandler Mack 14 Aug 1944 - 23 Mar 1945
• Patricia Frances French 15 May - 30 Oct 1945

Trainees

• † Arthur Matthew Aitken 30 Jun - 5 Dec 1942

Notes

Content for the history and honours sections has come "Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History - Volume 8 Training Units" Australian Government Publishing Service 1995.