John Hugh Saffery

Who is John Hugh Saffery?

Sqdn-Ldr John Hugh Saffery DSO. At the age of 77 John Saffery died in his sleep the day before he was due to attend the 56th reunion dinner of the Antarctic Club.

When 7 years old John was taken by his father to see the 'flying men of Hendon', and from then on his one ambition was to become a pilot. His first hopes of joining the RAF were blighted due to a defect in one eye, but not to be outdone he joined the London Aero Club and obtained his pilot's certificate at the age of 20. After first working with an advertising agency, in 1938 he joined F. Slingsby, builders of gliders and sailplanes.

On the outbreak of war he was commissioned in the Fleet Air Arm. Just as he completed his naval training in 1941, the War Cabinet issued an appeal for those with gliding experience: as a result Saffery transferred to the RAF and was appointed Chief Flying Instructor at No 1 Gliding School. When glider training came to an end in 1943 he took over a photo reconnaissance training unit and subsequently commanded 541 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, flying in Spitfires with high-level Rolls-Royce engines, equipped for vertical photography.