page_title: No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF
hierarchical_section_title: No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of 400393 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Eliot Ralph Barnfather RAAF, standing in front of a signboard for Royal Australian Air Force No 8 Elementary Flying Training School (8 EFTS) Narrandera, NSW. A barrister and solicitor from Geelong, Victoria, prior to enlistment, LAC Barnfather trained initially at 8 EFTS before being shipped to Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) at No 2 Air Observers' School (2AOS), Edmonton, Alberta. He received his 'wing' as an air observer on 22 June 1941. Commissioned after his training, Flying Officer (FO) Barnfather was a crew member of 218 Squadron RAF Stirling bomber N6071, radio call sign HA-G, which was shot down near Lyne, Denmark, on 18 May 1942. He was fatally wounded after parachuting from the aircraft. He was 27 years of age.
context_page_description: No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School was a Royal Australian Air Force pilot training unit that operated during World War II. It was one of twelve elementary flying training schools employed by the RAAF to provide introductory flight instruction to new pilots as part of Australia's contribution to the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 8 EFTS was established in September 1940 at Narrandera, New South Wales. Training ceased in December 1944 and the school was reduced to maintaining base infrastructure and aircraft. It was officially disbanded in June 1945 and renamed Care and Maintenance Unit Narrandera. The CMU was disbanded in December 1947.
context_section_description: No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 8 EFTS) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot training unit that operated during World War II. It was one of twelve elementary flying training schools employed by the RAAF to provide introductory flight instruction to new pilots as part of Australia's contribution to the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 8 EFTS was established in September 1940 at Narrandera, New South Wales. Training ceased in December 1944 and the school was reduced to maintaining base infrastructure and aircraft. It was officially disbanded in June 1945 and renamed Care and Maintenance Unit (CMU) Narrandera. The CMU was disbanded in December 1947.
caption: Trainee at No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School, c. 1941
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