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RAF. 42719 : Pilot Officer John Charles MALLON (surname underlined)
Parents : Mr. & Mrs. A. MALLON of NEW PLYMOUTH (surname & town underlined)

John Mallon was born at Inglewood on the 14th September 1916 and received his secondary education at New Plymouth Boy's High School attaining matriculation standard. The games he played were cricket, tennis and football. His civilian occupation was that of a motor engineer in the employ of Messrs. A.D. McNeil & Co., New Plymouth. In February 1938 he applied for enrolment in the Civil Reserve of Pilots and on being accepted was assigned to the Western Federated Flying Club, New Plymouth, for training. During the course of this training he was successful in gaining his "A" Flying License. He then applied for a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force and on being provisionally selected, embarked on the "Rotorua" at Auckland on the 15th June 1939 to proceed to the United Kingdom.

On arriving in England he reported to Air Ministry where he was confirmed in his appointment to a Short Service Commission as a pilot officer (redacted for four years from the 24th July 1939 he was instructed to) he proceeded (redacted on that day) to No. 8 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School, Reading, Berkshire, for his (redacted This) preliminary flying training (redacted completed) (redacted he) was posted on the 18th September, 1939 to No. 3 Initial Training Wing, Hastings, for a short course in service procedure. Then on the 8th October his flying training was continued by his being posted to No. 10 Flying Training School, Tern Hill, Shropshire. Here, on the 1st December 1939 he was awarded his flying badge. At the conclusion of his course he was posted on the 7th April, 1940 to No. 2 School of Army Co-operation, Old Sarum, Wiltshire. Early in May 1940, however, he proceeded to France on posting to No. 53 Squadron, part of the Advnaced Air (redacted Stirling) Striking Force attached to the British Expeditionary Force. With this squadron from bases in France and from Lympne, Kent where the squadron moved on the 19th May he took part in forty-three operational flights comprising an attack on an enemy airfield in France, nine armed reconnaissance flights, twelve North Sea patrols, two shipping strikes, attacks on Le Havre, Dreux, Boulogne (3), Calais and Cherbourg in France, Bruges, Ostend (2), and Zeebrugge in Belgium; Ghent (2), Flushing (2) Vlaardingen, Rotterdam and Helder in Holland and Emden (2), in Germany.