Collection related to the service of 413394 John Maxwell Knight RAAF

Identification portrait of 413364 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) John Ernest Farrell, of Haberfield, NSW. A bank clerk, he enlisted in the RAAF on 17 August 1941. Having completed the initial training, LAC Farrell progressed to the Intermediate and Advanced Training Course 20 for pilots at No. 7 Service Flying Training School (7SFTS), RAAF Station Deniliquin, NSW, Australia held from 9 February 1942 to 25 June 1942. On 24 August 1942, Sergeant (Sgt) Farrell embarked for service with the RAF at its base in Bournemouth, England. In October 1943, he transferred to India and on 6 January 1944, he was attached to the No. 607 Squadron RAF, a fighter squadron that was based at Chittagong, India from where it operated Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft against the Japanese forces in Burma. In April 1945 and June 1945, while operating from his base in India, Flying Officer (FO) Farrell was slightly injured during flying battles near Meiktila, Burma, one of the key cities in the battles to move the Japanese Armies out of central Burma. He served with distinction with the RAF in India and Burma and, on 8 November 1945, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying multiple sorties and providing support for the British 4th Army. FO Farrell returned to Australia on 28 October 1945. He was discharged from the RAAF on 11 March 1946 aged 25.