19 March 1941: Jack Davenport soloed at 5 EFTS Narromine

Jack Davenport arrived at 5 Elementary Flying Training School at Narromine, NSW on 6 March 1941. As well as almost daily flight instruction, the hectic training syllabus had a heavy course work component, which included armament lectures and technical work on engines. For Jack, there was no option but to work hard. It was the way to get on in life and it was the way to ensure that he would be sent overseas to play an active part in defeating the enemy. For him, the ' major consideration was to get there and become involved … That was what it was all about. I think it made people try very hard and apply themselves far more than otherwise would have been the case.' Jack was soon flying six days a week: he learnt climbing and steep turns, forced landings, all sorts of aerobatics, take off and landings, forced landings, side slips, gliding approaches and landings, and how to prepare to abandon his aircraft. He often flew on longer cross country exercises and carried out low flying exercises, with probably no idea of how low he would fly a few short years later when he would lead Beaufighter strikes flying at ‘nought feet’.

Jack took his first solo flight on 19 March 1941 and by the time he took his last flight in Tiger Moth A1789 on 26 April, the day after he completed his final assessment, he had flown 29 hours dual and 25.10 hours as pilot. He was assessed as above average. Jack always had a high degree of modesty; was never one for self aggrandizement and when he noted his achievement in his diary, he simply stated that he had ‘scraped a pass of 88%...luckily being first on course at flying’. Although Jack applied himself rigorously to his course work, his ground marks were not quite as good as his flying marks but, even so, when they were combined, he was third overall on the course.

 

 

 

Jack Davenport climbing into A17-86, one of 5 Elementary Flying Training School’s De Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moths.

Jack was recommended for bombers. This was just what he wanted. In a time when many young men had been influenced by the exploits of fighter aces and Battle of Britain veterans, Jack did not want to fly fighters. He ‘was rather keen to fly a multi-engined aircraft. I thought that this had more potential, I thought you were flying with somebody else for whom you were responsible and who had some responsibility towards you.’ As well as this, he relished the potential for personal challenge. He thought the demands of a bomber pilot were greater than those in a single-engine aircraft.