Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I mahue a Sillitoe i te kura i te 14 o ona tau, i te mea i taka ia i te whakamātautau tomokanga ki te kura paerewa. I mahi ia i te wheketere o Raleigh mo nga tau e wha e whai ake nei, i whakapau i tana wa waatea ki te panui nui me te "iho i nga kotiro o te rohe". I uru atu ia ki te Air Training Corps i te 1942, ka uru atu ki te Royal Air Force, ahakoa kua roa rawa ki te mahi i te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao. I mahi ia hei kaiwhakahaere waea ahokore i Malaya i te wā o te
He ohotata. Whai muri i tana hokinga ki Ingarangi i te whakamahere ia ki te whakauru ki te Royal Canadian Air Force i te wa i kitea ai he mate pukupuku tana. I noho ia mo te 16 marama ki te hōhipera o te RAF.