was never acknowledged by Batten, who later wrote in her autobiography that her mother, still in New Zealand, provided the necessary funds. Truman left the RAF in 1932 and was soon in London as well, tutoring Batten in navigation while he also worked towards gaining a B licence. Batten gained hers in December 1932 and then disentangled herself from Truman without ever paying back the £500 he lent her. In addition to her flight training, Batten learnt how to maintain aircraft and their engines. This was helpful for while on a delivery flight for a Gipsy Moth biplane, she experienced engine trouble and had to land the aeroplane at Sandhurst Military Academy. She was able to facilitate a repair and continue the flight. During her time at the LAC, she met Victor Dorée, who came from a wealthy family. Dorée borrowed £400 from his mother to buy Batten a Gipsy Moth, with which she intended to beat Johnson's record for flying from England to Australia solo. The agreement, as later recalled by Batten in her autobiography, entitled Dorée to half of any profits to be made from the endeavour. Batten modified the Gipsy Moth, acquired from the King's Flight and previously flown by the then Prince of Wales, by fitting extra fuel tanks to increase its range to . Visas and landing rights in 14 countries were secured, she made arrangements for refueling, and obtained a plethora of information on landmarks along her route. First attempt On 9 April 1933, Batten commenced her flight to Australia, a trip of , flying from Lympne Aerodrome. The flight was planned to end by landing at Darwin in Australia. Her departure was widely reported and her mother, present for the occasion, gave an interview that appeared to give the impression of a united and well-off family. Batten was not the only pilot attempting to break the record for the trip to Australia at the time; she took off 24 hours after an Italian, Leonida Robbiano, started his endeavour from Lympne. The first leg was to Rome and was the first non-stop solo effort to be made by a woman from England to Italy. Batten noted that this flight "caused considerable comment". Over the next few days she made stops at Naples, Athens, Aleppo, and Baghdad. At Bushehr, in Iran, she encountered Robbiano who had run out of fuel. During the leg to Karachi,