I have already described my first solo in my blog "gaining a pilots brevet in W.W 2". However some may be interested on this forum on how many hours were allowed by the R.A.F to solo in 1942/43
A total of ten hours was allowed, but this included instruction on spins. stalls, forced landings, side slipping, etc.
I managed it in nine and a half hours. I think the instructors left it to the last minute, as they considered it safer. I doubt if any of us had been in an aircraft before, very few even had a driving licence. Any one who did not solo, in under 10 hours , washed out. Those who succeeded were then accepted as pilot U/T.
Training was carried out at Marshal's flying school (civilian) Cambridge. My instructor was a R.F.C WW 1 pilot who cheerfully told me not to worry when demonstrating my first spin,saying " we now know how to recover from a spin" and that in W.W1 if they got into a spin, the only thing to do was - say, "Our Father ------". I would add, though, we had previously had seven months of lessons on, engines , airframes, navigation, signals, aerodynamics, and much more.