Airmen: Fred Riley (third from left) with Shepparton’s Kevin Riordan (third from right) and other airmen standing among the debris of a destroyed German fighter plane.
They were the young Australians who left home to fly deadly missions over the war-torn skies of Europe. As World War II entered its final stages in June 1944, hundreds of Australian airmen were preparing to fly into the maelstrom of D-Day and ensure the defeat of Nazi Germany. A new book by Benalla writer and serving member of the Royal Australian Air Force Joseph Mack tells the remarkable story of Aussie Spitfire pilot Fred Riley, 102, and his flying mate the late Kevin Riordan from Shepparton. John Lewis reports.
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Joseph (Joe) Mack first met Fred Riley in 2018 when the then-99-year-old former Spitfire pilot visited his squadron in Adelaide.
In the later stages of World War II Fred had flown Spitfires from England with the RAF’s 130 “Punjab” Squadron sponsored by the Indian state of Punjab.
Joe said his interest was piqued by the squadron with an elephant-head badge.
“Fred’s squadron was one I knew very little about,” he said.
“What I discovered was that there was no published record or memoir written by a pilot from 130 Squadron in the time Fred was there.
“Fred’s amazing journey and the story of his fellow pilots such as KR (Kevin Riordan) was a remarkable tale which I felt increasingly compelled to write the more I discovered.”
His new book takes its title from 130 Squadron’s motto: Strong to Serve.
The book tells the wartime story of Fred Riley, born in Motherwell, Scotland, who moved to Lithgow, NSW, when he was four years old.
Fred went on to fly Spitfires from October 1943 until December 22, 1944, when he was shot down by ground fire and severely injured while flying in support of American forces fighting in the Ardennes.
During his service Fred escorted bombers, participated in fighter sweeps and undertook hazardous beachhead patrols in support of the Allied invasion of occupied Europe on D-Day.
Joe said he had access to Fred’s logbook containing names, places and events. He was also able to access the unpublished memoirs of Kevin Riordan.
He said Fred served with some of the RAF’s most notable air aces, provided close escort for General Eisenhower on the Allied Supreme Commander’s first visit by air to Normandy and he also protected Allied transport aircraft during Operation Market Garden — the Allies’ failed attempt to create a bridgehead over the Rhine into Germany.
Fred’s final logbook entry was made on December 22, 1944 — the date he was shot down.
Joe said Fred and Kevin flew together throughout Fred’s entire operational career.
“Their experiences were largely shared. On the mission Fred was shot down, KR was flying with him,” Joe said.
After the war, Fred lived in Adelaide where his brother owned a business. He was unable to work initially because of his war injuries.
Today, he lives in One Tree Hill, near Adelaide and will be 103 years old in February.
Joe said Kevin was the only pilot from 130 Squadron contacted by Fred after the war.
“They were to meet up in early 2002 but their first attempt was thwarted by the number of bus changes between Shepparton and Adelaide,” Joe said.
“When Fred called a few months later to organise a second attempt, he was sadly told by KR’s wife that he had passed away.”
Moving tale: Strong to Serveis published by Big Sky Publishing and will be available at all good bookshops and online from March 2022.
The author: Benalla writer and serving RAAF member Joseph Mack, who has written an account of Australian Spitfire pilots during World War II.
Joseph Mack, the author of Strong to Serve, grew up in Benalla. Graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2007, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and remains a current serving member. Joseph has a longstanding interest in military history and aviation and enjoys visiting battlefields and military museums around the world. He holds a Master of War Studies from the University of New South Wales and has researched the scope and success of joint Australian-American air units which served throughout the Pacific theatre during World War II.
