List of World War II aces from New Zealand

File:Commonwealth Air Aces of the Second World War CNA814.jpg

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. Records were also kept for the shooting down of V-1 flying bombs, with the most successful New Zealander being Arthur Umbers, who is credited with destroying 28 V-1s, in addition to 4 solo aerial victories and one shared.

List

Name	Victories	Others	Awards	Notes
	4 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	10 & 3 shared	-	DSO, DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, POW 19 August 1942.Template:Sfn
	0 & 3 shared	7 V-1s	DFC	Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	5 & 1 shared	-	DFC*	Template:Sfn
	3 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Also 2 probables. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 30 November 1948.Template:Sfn
	0	20 & 1 shared V-1s	DFC	KIA 6 October 1944.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	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.Template:Sfn
	3 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Also 2 probables.Template:Sfn
	7 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	16	-	DSO, DFC	Also 2 probables. Total includes 2 V-1s.Template:Sfn
	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.Template:Sfn
	5 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 20 August 1944.Template:Sfn
	20 & 1 shared	-	DSO*, DFC*	Also 3 probables and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	0	16 V-1s	DFC*	POW 4 May 1945.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	0	11 V-1s	DFC	Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	17 & 1 shared	-	DSO, DFC*	Also 4 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	5 & 2 shared	-		Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. KIFA 31 May 1940.Template:Sfn
	7	-	DFM, DFC (US)	Template:Sfn
	2 & 1 shared	20 V-1s	DFC	POW 2 May 1945.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	11	-	DFC	Also 1 probable. Highest scoring flying ace of the Commonwealth against the Japanese in the South Pacific.Template:Sfn
	12 & 1 shared	-	DSO, DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	7 & 1 shared	-	DFM, DFC*	Also 1 probable. KIA 28 February 1944.Template:Sfn
	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.Template:Sfn
	0	7 & 1 shared V-1s		KIA 27 December 1944.Template:Sfn
	8	-	DFC*	Also 1 probable.Template:Sfn
	3 & 3 shared	-	DFC*	Also 1 probable.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFC*	Also 1 probable and 1 unclaimed. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFC	Possibly 6 aerial victories. Died on or about 20 October 1942 of thirst and exposure after the sinking RMS Laconia.Template:Sfn
	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.Template:Sfn
	18 & 1 shared	-	DFC, DFM*	POW October 1943.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	5 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 13 March 1941.Template:Sfn
	1	8 V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	5 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	5	-	AFC	Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	8 & 6 shared	-	DFC	Also 3 probables. Died of sickness 11 July 1944.Template:Sfn
	11	-	DSO, DFC	New Zealand's highest scoring night fighter ace of WWII.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	9	-	DSO, DFC*	Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	10	-	DFM	Also 2 probables. KIA 17 June 1944.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFM	Also 2 probables.Template:Sfn
	16	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force and was its first flying ace of WWII. KIFA 7 June 1940.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	0	9 V-1s		KIA 25 March 1945.Template:Sfn
	0	7 & 1 shared V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	1	10 V-1s	DFC, DFC (US)	Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	4 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	7	3 V-1s	AFC, DFC*	Also 1 probable.Template:Sfn
	5 & 2 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	5 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Total includes 3 aircraft destroyed on ground or sea.Template:Sfn
	0	6 V-1s		Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	0	19 & 1 shared V-1s	DFC	Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	2	-	DSO	Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	9 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	3 & 1 shared	-	DSO, DFC	Total may be 4 & 1 shared.Template:Sfn
	23	-	DSO, DFC*	Also 2 probables.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	0	5 & 1 shared V-1s	DFC, FC (NL)	KIFA 19 July 1948.Template:Sfn
	0	7 V-1s	DFC	Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	4 & 1 shared	-	DFC	DOW 29 August 1944.Template:Sfn
	4	-	DFC	Also 1 probable.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFC	Also 1 probable.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 1 May 1942.Template:Sfn
	1 & 1 shared	8 & 1 shared V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	10 & 1 shared	-	DFM	KIA 25 October 1942.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	6 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	4	-	DSO, DFC	Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past; KIFA 8 August 1947.Template:Sfn
	1	5 V-1s		Template:Sfn
	9	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 24 July 1944.Template:Sfn
	12	-	DFC*	POW August 1943.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	2 & 1 shared	5 V-1s	DFC*	Template:Sfn
	11 & 2 shared	-	DFC*	Also 4 aircraft destroyed on the ground.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	5 & 3 shared	-	DSO, DFC*, CDeG*	Also 6 probables.Template:Sfn
	5	7 and 1 shared V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	8	-	DFC*	Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn
	10	-	DFC*	Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	2 & 3 shared	8 V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	14	-	DFC	KIA 24 September 1943.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	5	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	2 & 1 shared	-	DFC*	Has been credited with 9 aerial victories in the past.Template:Sfn
	2 & 2 shared	10 and 1 shared V-1s	DFC	Template:Sfn
	6	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, MIA 4 August 1941.Template:Sfn
	4 & 1 shared	1 V-1	DFC*	Also 1 shared probable. MIA 13 April 1945.Template:Sfn
	6	-	DFC	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 8 December 1941.Template:Sfn
	7	-	DFC*	Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 19 May 1947.Template:Sfn
	4 & 1 shared	28 V-1s	DFC*	Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. KIA 14 February 1945.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	8 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force.Template:Sfn
	6 & 1 shared	-	DFC*	Also 1 probable. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 17 June 1942.Template:Sfn
	12	-	DFC*	Also 4 probables. Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
	4 & 2 shared	-	DFM	Also 1 shared probable.Template:Sfn
	8 & 3 shared	-	DFC*	Also 2 probables.Template:Sfn
	5	-	DFM	Template:Sfn
	3 & 3 shared	-	DFM	Flew in Southeast Asia and then Europe. KIA 3 October 1943.Template:Sfn
	4 & 1 shared	-	DFC	Template:Sfn
	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.Template:Sfn

Table notes

Abbreviations

• "KIA" in Notes means Killed in action (dates are included where possible).
• "KIFA" in Notes means Killed in Flying Accident.
• "MIA" in Notes means Missing in action.
• "WIA" in Notes means Wounded in action.
• "POW" in Notes means Prisoner of War.

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".Template:Sfn
CDeG	Croix de Guerre	A military decoration of both France and Belgium, also commonly bestowed to foreign military forces allied to France and Belgium.Template:Sfn
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".Template:Sfn
DFC*	Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar	A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award.Template:Sfn
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".Template:Sfn
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".Template:Sfn
DSO	Distinguished Service Order	Awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime.Template:Sfn
DSO*	Distinguished Service Order and Bar	A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DSO who received a second award.Template:Sfn

See also

• List of World War II flying aces by country