List of World War II aces from New Zealand

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Colin Gray, top-scoring New Zealand ace of World War II, with his Supermarine Spitfire in the Middle East, 1943

This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from New Zealand. An "ace" is generally considered to be any pilot who has downed five or more enemy aircraft. Historians have gleaned figures from combat reports, unit histories, personnel records, and award citations, which sometimes recorded the pilot’s tally of victories at the time the decoration was recommended. The top-scoring New Zealand ace of World War II, Colin Gray, is generally credited with 28 victories, that is 27 solo "kills" and two shared. Arthur Umbers is credited with 32½ victories, but 28 of these were V-1 flying bombs rather than piloted aircraft.

List

Name Victories Awards Notes
Robert Hamish "Jimmy" Balfour 4 & 1 shared DFC [1]
Minden Vaughan "Mindy" Blake 10 & 3 shared DSO, DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, POW 19 August 1942.[2]
Robert Duff Bremner 7 & 3 shared DFC Total includes 7 V-1s.[3][4]
Stanley Franklin Browne 5 & 1 shared DFC* [5]
Charles Roy Bush 3 & 1 shared DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Also 2 probables. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 30 November 1948.[6]
Raymond John Cammock 20 & 1 shared V-1s DFC KIA 6 October 1944.[7]
Brian John George Carbury 15 & 2 shared DFC* Also 2 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, achieved "ace in a day" status by shooting down five aircraft on 31 August 1940.[Note 1][8]
Donald C. Carlson 3 & 2 shared DFC Also 2 probables.[9]
Hansford Ward Chambers 7 & 1 shared DFC [10]
John "Johnny" Milne Checketts 16 DSO, DFC Also 2 probables. Total includes 2 V-1s.[11]
Wilfred Greville Clouston 9 & 3 shared DFC Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, POW February 1942.[12]
Basil Gordon "Buck" Collyns 5 & 2 shared DFC Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 20 August 1944.[13]
William Vernon Crawford-Compton 20 & 1 shared DSO*, DFC* Also 3 probables and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force.[14][15]
James Roy Cullen 16 V-1s DFC* POW 4 May 1945.[4][16]
Raymond Jack Danzey 11 V-1s DFC [3]
Alan Christopher "Al" Deere 17 & 1 shared DSO, DFC* Also 4 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[17]
Antonio Simmons Dini 5 & 2 shared Served in the Royal Air Force. KIFA 31 May 1940.[18]
Eric Steele "Francis" Doherty 7 DFM, DFC (US) [19]
Owen David "Ginger" Eagleson 22 & 1 shared DFC Total includes 20 V-1s, POW 2 May 1945.[4][16]
Geoffrey Bryson Fisken 11 DFC Also 1 probable. Highest scoring flying ace of the Commonwealth against the Japanese in the South Pacific.[20]
John Albert Axel Gibson 12 & 1 shared DSO, DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF.[21]
Reginald Joseph Cowan Grant 7 & 1 shared DFM, DFC* Also 1 probable. KIA 28 February 1944.[22]
Colin Falkland Gray 27 & 2 shared DSO, DFC** Also 6 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, highest scoring New Zealand flying ace of WWII.[23]
Bevan Mason Hall 7.5 V-1s KIA 27 December 1944.[4]
Peter Francis Locker Hall 8 DFC* Also 1 probable.[24]
Owen Leslie Hardy 3 & 3 shared DFC* Also 1 probable.[25]
James Chilton Francis "Spud" Hayter 5 DFC* Also 1 probable and 1 unclaimed. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[26]
Gilbert McLean "Gillie" Hayton 5 Possibly 6 aerial victories. Drowned aboard HMT Laconia 20 October 1942.[27]
Michael James Herrick 6 & 2 shared DFC* Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF. KIA 16 June 1944.[28]
Raymond Brown Hesselyn 18.5 DFC, DFM* POW October 1943.[14]
William Henry Hodgson 5 & 2 shared DFC Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 13 March 1941.[29]
Garnet J. Michael "Gus" Hooper 9 DFC Total includes 8 V-1s.[30]
John Arthur Houlton 5 & 2 shared DFC [31]
Reginald Jack Hyde 5 AFC Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[32]
Mervin Robert Bruce Ingram 8 & 6 shared DFC Also 3 probables. Died of sickness 11 July 1944.[33]
George Edmond "Jamie" Jameson 11 DSO, DFC New Zealand's highest scoring night fighter ace of WWII.[34][35]
Patrick Geraint Jameson 9 DSO, DFC* Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[36]
Ernest Leslie "Nipper" Joyce 10 DFM Also 2 probables. KIA 17 June 1944.[37]
Julian Ivon 5 DFM Also 2 probables.[38]
Edgar James "Cobber" Kain 16 DFC Served in the Royal Air Force and was its first flying ace of WWII. KIFA 7 June 1940.[14][39]
William Arthur "Wacky" Kalka 9 V-1s KIA 25 March 1945.[30]
Robert Gordon "Dutch" Kleimeyer 7 & 1 shared V-1s DFC [30]
Edmund Eric Geddes Kuhn 5 [40]
Frank Brewster "Bruce" Lawless 11 DFC, DFC (US) Total includes 10 V-1s.[30][41]
Keith Ashley Lawrence 4 & 2 shared DFC Served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[42]
Roy Emile LeLong 10 AFC, DFC* Also 1 probable. Total includes 3 V-1s.[43]
David Franklin Livingstone 5 & 2 shared DFC [44]
Harold Watson Longley 5 & 1 shared DFC Total includes 3 aircraft destroyed on ground or sea.[45]
Kevin McCarthy 6 V-1s [41]
James Hugh "Black Mac" McCaw 19 & 1 shared V-1s DFC [46]
Sir Hector Douglas McGregor 2 DSO Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[47]
John Noble MacKenzie 9 & 1 shared DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[48]
Russell Merriman MacKenzie 3 & 1 shared DSO, DFC Total may be 4 & 1 shared.[49]
Evan Dall "Rosie" Mackie 23 DSO, DFC* Also 2 probables.[14]
Henry Maurice "Morrie" Mason 7 DFC, FC (NL) Total includes 5 & 1 shared V-1s. KIFA 19 July 1948.[46]
William Lister "Dusty" Miller 7 V-1s DFC [46]
Leighton John Montgomerie 4 & 1 shared DFC DOW 29 August 1944.[49]
Francis "Spud" Murphy 4 DFC Also 1 probable.[50]
Percival Guy Haig Newton 5 DFC Also 1 probable.[51]
Harold Leslie "Knockers" North 5 DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 1 May 1942.[52]
Brian John O'Connor 9 & 2 shared DFC Total includes 8 and 1 shared V-1s.[30]
Geoffrey Charles Russell Pannell 5 Flew in Battle of Britain.
Nigel Manfred Park 10 & 1 shared DFM KIA 25 October 1942.[14]
Alan McGregor Peart 6 & 1 shared DFC [53]
John Howard Player 4 DSO, DFC Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past; KIFA 8 August 1947.[54]
James Kerrow Porteous 7 DFC
Neville Joseph "Pip" Powell 6 Total includes 5 V-1s.[30]
Paul Wattling Rabone 9 DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 24 July 1944.[55]
John Donald "Jack" Rae 12 DFC* POW August 1943.[14]
Arthur Norman "Artie" Sames 8 DFC*
Warren Edward "Smokey" Schrader 11 & 2 shared DFC* Also 4 aircraft destroyed on the ground.[14][56]
Desmond James Scott 5 & 3 shared DSO, DFC*, CDeG* Also 6 probables.[57]
Cornelius James Sheddan 12 & 1 shared DFC Total includes 7 and 1 shared V-1s.[58]
Irving Stanley Smith 8 DFC* Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[59]
Robert Lawrence Spurdle 10 DFC* Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF.[60]
John Harry "Jack" Stafford 10 & 3 shared DFC Total includes 8 V-1s.[61]
Allan Bennetto Stead 5 DFC KIA 6 January 1945.
Gray Stenborg 14 DFC KIA 24 September 1943.[14]
Kenneth William Stewart 5 DFC [62]
William Hector Stratton 2 & 1 shared DFC* Has been credited with 9 aerial victories in the past.[63]
Harvey Nelson Sweetman 12 & 3 shared DFC Total includes 10 and 1 shared V-1s.[64]
Kenneth William Tait 6 DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, MIA 4 August 1941.[65]
Keith Granville "Hyphen" Taylor-Cannon 5 & 1 shared DFC* Also 1 shared probable. Total includes 1 V-1. MIA 13 April 1945.[66]
Owen Vincent Tracey 6 DFC Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 8 December 1941.[67]
Richard Macklow Trousdale 7 DFC* Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 19 May 1947.[68]
Arthur Ernest "Spike" Umbers 32 & 1 shared DFC* Total includes 28 V-1s. Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. KIA 14 February 1945.[69]
Victor Bosanquet Strachan Verity 8 & 1 shared DFC Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force.[70]
Derek Harland Ward 6 & 1 shared DFC* Also 1 probable. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 17 June 1942.[71]
Edward Preston "Hawkeye" Wells 12 DFC* Also 4 probables. Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.[14][72]
Jeffery George West 4 & 2 shared DFM Also 1 shared probable.[73]
Derrick Fitzgerald "Jerry" Westenra 8 & 3 shared DFC* Also 2 probables.[74]
Geoffrey Gordon White 5 KIA 23 May 1943.
Gordon Albert Williams 5 DFM [75]
Bert Samuel Wipiti 3 & 3 shared DFM Flew in Southeast Asia and then Europe. KIA 3 October 1943.[76]
Brian Wallace Woodman 4 & 1 shared DFC [77]
Robert Duncan Yule 3 & 5 shared DSO, DFC* Also 2 probables and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 11 September 1953.[78]

Table notes

Abbreviations

Awards

Award Title Notes
AFC Air Force Cross Awarded for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy".[79]
CDeG Croix de Guerre A military decoration of both France and Belgium, also commonly bestowed to foreign military forces allied to France and Belgium.[80]
DFC Distinguished Flying Cross Awarded to Royal Air Force commissioned officers and warrant officers for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".[79]
DFC* Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award.[79]
DFC (US) Distinguished Flying Cross – United States The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight".[81]
DFM Distinguished Flying Medal Awarded to military below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy".[82]
DSO Distinguished Service Order Awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime.[83]
DSO* Distinguished Service Order and Bar A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DSO who received a second award.[83]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ The term "ace in a day" is used to designate a pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day, based on usual definition of an "flying ace".

Citations

  1. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 274.
  2. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 328–330.
  3. ^ a b Sortehaug 1998, pp. 317, 352.
  4. ^ a b c d Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1794.
  5. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 375.
  6. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 464–466.
  7. ^ Martyn 2008, p. 119.
  8. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 474–475.
  9. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 478.
  10. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 484.
  11. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 492–494.
  12. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 509.
  13. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 522–523.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Spick 1997, pp. 218–219.
  15. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 542–543.
  16. ^ a b Sortehaug 1998, p. 317.
  17. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 590–592.
  18. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 602.
  19. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 608.
  20. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 694.
  21. ^ Spick 1997, p. 210.
  22. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 848–849.
  23. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 850–853.
  24. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 872.
  25. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 883–884.
  26. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 887–889.
  27. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 889–900.
  28. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 907–908.
  29. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 923–924.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1795.
  31. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 939–940.
  32. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 960.
  33. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 965–966.
  34. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 969–970.
  35. ^ Lambert 2014, pp. 241–243.
  36. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 970–972.
  37. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1000–1002.
  38. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1002–1003.
  39. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1003.
  40. ^ 'Those Other Eagles', Shores 2004 , page 334
  41. ^ a b Sortehaug 1998, p. 318.
  42. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1061–1062.
  43. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1071–1072.
  44. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1082–1083.
  45. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1089.
  46. ^ a b c Sortehaug 1998, pp. 319, 352.
  47. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1230–1231.
  48. ^ Morris 2000, p. 238.
  49. ^ a b Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1190.
  50. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1281–1282.
  51. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1291–1292.
  52. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1298.
  53. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1354–1355.
  54. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1373–1374.
  55. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1392–1393.
  56. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1456–1457.
  57. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1462–1463.
  58. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1534–1536.
  59. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1560–1561.
  60. ^ Spick 1997, pp. 218–220.
  61. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1579–1580.
  62. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1598–1599.
  63. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1607–1608.
  64. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1614–1615.
  65. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1617.
  66. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1623.
  67. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1644.
  68. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1647–1648.
  69. ^ Martyn 2008, p. 483.
  70. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1675–1676.
  71. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1701.
  72. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1715–1716.
  73. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1717–1718.
  74. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1719–1720.
  75. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1743–1744.
  76. ^ Martyn 2008, p. 514.
  77. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, p. 1758.
  78. ^ Shores & Williams 1994, pp. 1781–1783.
  79. ^ a b c Hanson 2001, p. 28.
  80. ^ Hanson 2001, pp. 38–39.
  81. ^ Hanson 2001, p. 43.
  82. ^ Hanson 2001, p. 30.
  83. ^ a b Hanson 2001, p. 27.

References

  • Hanson, C. M. (2001). By Such Deeds: Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1923–1999. Christchurch: Volplane Press. ISBN 0-473-07301-3.
  • Lambert, Max (2014). Victory: New Zealand Airmen and the Fall of Germany. Auckland: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-1-77554-043-4.
  • Martyn, Errol (2008). For Your Tomorrow – A Record of New Zealanders Who Have Died While Serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services Since 1915 – Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices. Christchurch: Volplane Press. ISBN 978-0-473-12829-6.
  • Morris, Gerard S. (2000). Spitfire: The New Zealand Story. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0696-0.
  • Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII (Kindle ed.). London, United Kingdom: Grub Street. ISBN 1-8-9869-7000.
  • Sortehaug, Paul (1998). The Wild Winds: The History of Number 486 RNZAF Fighter Squadron with the RAF. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago University Print. ISBN 1-877139-09-2.
  • Spick, Mike (1997). Allied Fighter Aces: The Air Combat Tactics and Techniques of World War II. London, United Kingdom: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-282-3.
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