FLTLT RAF John Francis Pain 43291 (RAF)

From Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and...

By Christopher Shores, Clive Williams

John Francis Pain was born in Scotland of Australian medical student parents. His mother later married again to Sir Alan Mansfield, Governor of Queensland. John returned to England in late 1938 to join the RAF, attending the college at Cranwell and being commissioned in July 1940. Prior to commissioning, with the fall of France, selected cadet pilots at Cranwell, had stood to with armed Hants, Hinds and Audaxes to help repel an invasion. During July he attended 7OTU and was then posted to 32 Squadron. On 18th of August he was shot down by a Bf110 and bailed out, wounded. On recovery, he was posted to 249 Squadron in November but on the 16th of January 1941 he was despatched to West Africa aboard the carrier Furious, flying off in a Hurricane and then flying across Africa to Egypt. On the 29th he flew to Malta and was posted to 261 Squadron. In May he accompanied 261 Squadron to North Africa where he served for a short while with 102 MU, Abu Sueir before spending six months at the Takoradi Ferry Pool in West Africa, ferrying many types of aircraft to Egypt. In November 1941 he joined to IDU until July 1942, then going to 1 Section, ADU, at Abu Sueir again. In September he was posted to 73 Squadron where he remained until February 1943.

He then went to 22 PTS al Almoza until June 1943 when he briefly joined 123 Squadron. As a Flight Lieutenant he commanded 26 AACU at El Firdan during October and November but in December he was shipped back to the U.K. Here he served briefly with 41 and 42 Groups at Andover and then with 20 MU, Aston Down. After March 1944 he returned to Australia, where he was released.

Post-war, he became a journalist, but died of cancer on the 12th of September 1980.

From: The Battle-of-Britain London Monument

"He claimed a Me109 probably destroyed and a Ju88 damaged on 15th August, destroyed a Ju88 and probably another on the 16th and on the 18th he destroyed a Do17 and probably another. On this day, in an engagement over Biggin Hill, Pain was shot down in flames by Me109's in Hurricane P3147. He baled out, wounded, landed near Horsmonden and was admitted to hospital. He did not return to his squadron until 31st October.

Pain was posted to 249 Squadron at North Weald on 26th November but on 18th December he left and soon after embarked on the aircraft carrier HMS Furious. He flew off to Takoradi and then flew a Hurricane along the ferry route to Egypt in stages, arriving at Abu Sueir on 16th January 1941. Pain flew a Hurricane to Malta on 29th January and joined 261 Squadron at Ta Kali.

On 1st February he claimed a Ju88 destroyed, on the 4th probably another, on the 12th a probable Me109 and a Ju88 damaged, on the 25th a Me110 damaged, on the 26th a Do215 probably destroyed and a Me109 damaged, on 5th March a Me110 probably destroyed and a Do215 shared, on 18th March a CR42 destroyed and probably another, on 20th April another CR42 destroyed and probably a second and at night on 15th May a He111 destroyed.

In early May 1941 Pain returned to the Middle East and was posted to ADU Takoradi. He was serving with 73 Squadron in the Western Desert in 1942. On 3rd July he destroyed a Me109, probably a Ju87 and damaged another, and on the 10th he damaged a CR42.

After a short spell with 123 Squadron in Persia, Pain returned to England, commanded 26 AACU in 1943 and later in the year was at 20 MU.

In late March 1944 Pain resigned his commission and returned to Australia. He changed his name to Brooker-Pain in 1972.

He died on 12th September 1980."

Research has been unable to establish if John Pain actually flew Spitfires with 73 Squadron but regardless of any hard evidence we commemorate the contribution to the war effort made by this extraordinary pilot - This fighter Ace of World War 11. [Editor]