Court number one at our club has a name on the door. Ryley. We understand the other three doors, Castle, Brunel and Jennings – but if you ask many members of our squash club, they probably will not know the name Ryley. Let me introduce you to Robert (Bob) Ryley and you will understand the reasons behind the dedication of our number one court.
Bob grew up on Mount Road, Hinckley. He played squash to an excellent level and represented England on a worldwide court and played rugby for the Leicester Tigers. Bob was a big influence at Hinckley Squash Rackets Club, being its chairman until 1984. Many of the members that knew Bob said he carried the club for many years financially during some of the darker years, although on speaking to his wife Pam, he was not alone in this feat as she says that Roy Jennings was also involved.
Bob Ryley (back right) as an active member of HSRC's 1st Team 1974–1975.
Bob was described by Pam as calling a spade a spade whilst not suffering fools gladly. He was an honest man and that’s one of the many reasons he was loved by his many friends in the squash community. It was around the bar (of all three homes of our clubs) that he shared stories of his experiences during WW2.
At the age of eighteen, Bob was saying goodbye and good luck to his elder brother at the train station who had been called up to the army. In order to keep his little brother safe, Bob was instructed not to join up - he had a bad feeling that this war was going to be a long and bad one. So, Bob did what any little brother would do… volunteered and joined up the very next day. He became a Hawker Hurricane Pilot in the Royal Air Force and didn’t come home for four and a half years.
Bob’s training started in Torquay and took him to South Africa where he flew with 42nd Squadron taking part in the big push against the Japanese and trying to drive them out of Africa. He flew many missions taking pictures, filming for recognisance and bombing runs. He worked closely with the Canadian Air Force in these missions and had a wonderful reunion with some of the men from this unit in Canada.
Films and pictures taken by Bob whilst flying and featuring him with the Hawker Hurricane are available on the Imperial War Museum website and below you can see a picture of Bob holding a chunk of wood that was pulled out of his aircraft. He always said that he preferred the sturdier Hurricane over the Spitfire, because she could take more of a pounding than the Spitfire. If he had been flying a Spitfire when he clipped the trees, the craft would have spun out and crashed.
Bob came back to the UK on VE day, 80 years ago today. He was the proud recipient of the Distinguished Fliers Cross although he had no idea about it until he came home.
Pictured at Kangla, Burma, Flying Officer Bob Ryley of No. 42 Squadron RAF presents his flight mechanic with a piece of tree which got lodged in the wing of his Hawker Hurricane Mark IIC during a low-level attack.
Other pictures on the Imperial War Museum website show Bob proudly wearing his flight suit with a tiger on the back and the Hawker having a matching one on her nose, as well as an image of a mission briefing. This was a nod to the Leicester Tigers.
Some of his stories may have been embellished through the years over a pint or two, but I am sure that if asked, members such as Bob Jennings and Chris Salter will be most happy to share them. But, one thing is for sure, Bob Ryley helped to make our club what it is today.
This VE day, we thank Bob Ryley for his services to our club and our country and we thank all of the veterans and current serving military personnel too.
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Thanks to Bob and Heath Jennings, Chris Salter and Pam Ryley for helping to gather the stories about Bob.