Aircrew trainees returning from Banff during leave. Identified left to right: Johnnie Southwell, ...

Aircrew trainees returning from Banff during leave. Identified left to right: Johnnie Southwell, 402526 Pilot Officer Walter Hugh (Wally) Lynch (killed in an accident in the United Kingdom on 26 January 1942), Bill Rice (believed to be 402251 Sergeant Clive William Pryer Rice, later 21 Operational Training Unit, (lost on operations over the United Kingdom on 28 January 1942); L Simpson and C Edwards (believed to be 404238 Christopher Lynton Edwards, later Warrant Officer 215 Squadron RAF, (lost on operations over Burma on 17 May 1943). Following basic training in Australia, aircrew went onto other Commonwealth countries to continue their training. The Empire Air Training Scheme intended for 50,000 aircrew to be trained annually; each dominion conducted its own elementary training and advanced training was conducted in Canada because of its closeness to the British aircraft factories and the war zone. From November 1940, some training was also conducted in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).