List of World War II aces from Australia

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Clive Caldwell, top-scoring Australian ace of World War II, with his Supermarine Spitfire on Morotai, Dutch East Indies, 1944

This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Australia. An "ace" is generally considered to be any pilot who has downed five or more enemy aircraft, though the term has never been officially adopted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).[1] Accordingly, the numbers of victories attained by its fighter pilots were not routinely publicised by the RAAF during the war.[2] 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 Australian ace of World War II, Clive Caldwell, is generally credited with 28½ victories, that is 27 solo "kills" and three shared, or a total of 30 if shared victories are counted as one each.[3][4] His total was almost twice that of the second-highest scoring Australian ace, Adrian Goldsmith with 17.[3][5]

For aces of other countries, see List of World War II aces by country.

Name Victories Unit(s) Awards Notes
Clive Caldwell 28½[6][7] or 30, i.e. 27 + 3 shared. [5] 250, 112 Sqdns RAF; 1 Wing RAAF (CO) DSO, DFC & Bar In North Africa, Caldwell is credited with 21–23 victories; and in the South West Pacific, with 6½–7 victories.
Adrian Goldsmith 16¼[6] or 17[5][7] 234, 242, 126 RAF 452 RAAF DFC, DFM
Paterson Hughes 15[6][7] or 17 (14 + 3 shared)[5] 64, 234, 247 RAF DFC KIA 7 September 1940[8]
Keith Truscott 15[5] or 16[6][7] 452, 76 RAAF DFC & Bar KIFA 28 March 1943[9]
John Waddy 15[7] 15½[5][6] 250, 260, 92 RAF 4 SAAF 80 RAAF DFC
Les Clisby 14[6] or 16[5][7] 1 RAF DFC KIA 15 May 1940[10]
Charles Scherf 14[5] or 14½[6][7] 418 RCAF DSO, DFC & Bar
Nigel Cullen 13[6] or 16[5][7] 267, 80 RAF DFC KIA 4 March 1941[11]
13[5] or 14[6][7] 68, 89 RAF DFC & Bar
Tony Gaze 12[7] or 14 (11 + 3 shared)[5] or 14.5[12] 610, 616, 64, 129, 66, 41, RAF DFC & Two Bars Score includes one V-1 flying bomb.
Nicky Barr 12[6][7] 3 RAAF MC, DFC & Bar
12[5][6][7] 73 255 267 RAF DFC
Peter Turnbull 12[5][6][7] 3, 75, 76 RAAF DFC KIA 27 August 1942[13]
12[5][6][7] 232, 64, 233, 185 RAF 453 RAAF DFM KIA 10 December 1942[14]
11[5][6] 126, 611, 72 RAF, 452 RAAF DFC & Bar KIA 5 February 1943 [15]
Charles Crombie 11[7] or 12[5][6] 25, 89, 176, 89 RAF DSO, DFC KIFA 26 August 1945[16]
Howard Mayers 11[6][7] or 12 (11 + 1 shared)[5] 94, 601 RAF DSO, DFC & Bar
11[5] 79, 249 RAF DFC KIA 30 October 1940[17]
11[6][7] or 13 (10 + 3 shared)[5] 250 RAF 86 RAAF DFM
Bobby Gibbes 10¼[6][18] or 12 (10 + 2 shared)[5] 450, 3 RAAF DSO, DFC & Bar
Virgil Brennan 10[6][7] 64, 249 RAF 452, 79 RAAF DFC, DFM KIFA 13 June 1943
10[5][7] 252, 227, 272 RAF DFC & Bar
10[6][7] or 11 (10 + 1 shared)[5] 87, 72 RAF 3, 453 RAAF DFC
9[7] or 12 (8 + 4 shared)[5] 600, 609 RAF DFC
9[7] 31 RAAF DFC
9[5] or 10[6][7] 19, 56, 603, 229 RAF DFC
Norman Williams 9 10, 35 RAF, 23 RAAF CGM, DFM & Bar Bomber Command
Wilfred Arthur 8[5] or 10[6][7] 3, 75, 76 RAAF DSO, DFC
John Jackson 8[5][7][19] 23, 3, 75 RAAF DFC KIA 28 April 1942[20]
8[7] 31 RAAF DFC
8[5] 32, 261, 73 RAF
8[5] or 10[6][7] 87, 54 RAF 3, 5, 24, 76 RAAF DFC
Alan Rawlinson 8[5] or 10[6][7] 3, 79 RAAF DFC & Bar
8[7] or 10[5][6] 245, 607, 609 RAF DFC KIA 1 June 1940 [21]
Gordon Steege 8[5][7] 11, 260 RAF, 3, 450 RAAF DSO, DFC
8[5][7] 135 RAF DFC
8[5][7] 3 RAAF DFM KIA 9 December 1941[22]
7[5] 112 RAF, 450 RAAF
7[5][7] DFC
7[5] 3, 75, 76, 84, 67 RAAF
7[5] 135, 242, 126 RAF DFM KIA 14 May 1942[23]
7[5] 80 RAF
Keith Hampshire 7[5][7] or 10[24] 12, 6, 22, 456 RAAF DSO & Bar, DFC
7[5][7] 112 RAF DFM
7[5][7] 43, 126, 155 RAF DFM KIA 9 May 1942[25]
Russell Foskett 6½[5][7] 80, 94 RAF OBE, DFC KIA 31 October 1944[26]
6[5][7] 79 RAF DFC KIA 21 May 1943[27]
Keith Chisholm 6[7] or 7[5] (5 + 2 shared) 452 RAAF MC, DFM
6[5][7] 141, 273, 136 RAF
Robert Cowper 6[5][7] 153, 89, 108 RAF 456 RAAF DFC & Bar Score includes one V-1 flying bomb[5]
6[5][7] 3 RAAF DFM
Gordon Olive 6[7] or 8[5] 65 RAF, 456 RAAF DFC
6[5] 250, 30 RAF
6[5][7] 600 RAF DFC
6[5][7] KIA 22 November 1941[28]
6[5][7] 212, 72 RAF DFC & Bar
6[5][7] 3 RAAF DFM KIA 9 January 1942[29]
5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5] 126, 41 RAF 452, 453 RAAF DFC
6[7] or 7 (6 + 1 shared)[5] 452 RAAF DFC KIA 15 March 1943[30]
5[5][7] 24, 25, 75, 82 RAAF DFC & Bar
5[5][7] 19 RAF DFC KIA 9 September 1944[31]
5[5][7] 226, 145 RAF 452 RAAF DFC Died 10 June 1943[32]
5[5][7] 93 RAF DFC
5[5][6][7] 112 RAF
5[7] or 7[5] 3 RAAF DFM
Alfred Clare 5[7] 453, 24, 5 RAAF
5[5][7] 453 RAAF, 81 RAF DFC
5[7] or 7 (5 + 2 shared)[5] 135, 260 RAF 452 RAAF DFC, DFM
5[5][7] 3 RAAF KIA 6 January 1943[33]
5[5] or 6[7] 112 RAF DFC & Bar
5[5][7] 3 RAAF
5[7] or 6 (3 + 3 shared)[5] 87 RAF DFC KIA 14 August 1940[34]
5[5][7] 607 RAF DFC
5 or 6[5][7] 24, 31 RAF DFC & Bar
5[7] 248 RAF DFM
Richard Hillary 5[5][7] 603 RAF KIA 8 January 1943
Leslie Jackson 5[5][7] 21, 23, 75 RAAF DFC & Bar
Peter Jeffrey 5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5][35] 3, 75, 76 RAAF DSO, DFC
5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5] 238 RAF, 450, 451 RAAF DFC, DFM
5[5][7] 112, 111 RAF
Richard Nitschke 5[5][7] 250 RAF KIA 20 December 1941[36]
5[7] or 8 (4 + 4 shared)[5] 272, 236, 227 RAF 30 RAAF DFC
5[5][7] 72 RAF 453 RAAF DFC KIA 27 February 1945[37]
Leonard Reid 5[7] or 7[5] 504, 185, 130 RAF 79, 452 RAAF DFC
5[5][7] 68, 87, 89 RAF 86 RAAF DFC

Notes[]

  1. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 1–2
  2. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 32
  3. ^ a b Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 30
  4. ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, p. 75
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 117–118
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Odgers, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 125
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 31–32
  8. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 139–140
  9. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 162–163
  10. ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 77–78
  11. ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, p. 83
  12. ^ "Gaze, Frederick Anthony Owen "Tony"". TracesOfWar.com. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Turnbull, Peter St George Bruce". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  14. ^ "Yarra, John William". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Armstrong, Hugo Throssell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  16. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 127–128
  17. ^ "Commemorative Roll – William Henry Millington". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  18. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 133
  19. ^ Andrew Thomas (2005). Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces of the RAF and Commonwealth, p. 103
  20. ^ "Jackson, John Francis". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  21. ^ "Russell, Ian Bedford Nesbitt". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  22. ^ "Wilson, Rex Kerslake". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  23. ^ "Boyd, John Livingstone". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  24. ^ Bowman, Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2, p. 95
  25. ^ "Tweedale, Gordon Russell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  26. ^ "Foskett, Russell George". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  27. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 118
  28. ^ "Saunders, John Henry William". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  29. ^ "Simes, Ronald Henry". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  30. ^ "Thorold-Smith, Raymond Edward". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  31. ^ "Bell, Maxwell Herron". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  32. ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 120–121
  33. ^ "Curtis, Victor Farley". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  34. ^ "Glyde, Richard Lindsay". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  35. ^ Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces of the RAF and Commonwealth, p. 102
  36. ^ "Nitschke, Richard Hastings". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  37. ^ "Ratten, John Richard". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.

References[]

  • Bowman, Martin W. (1998). Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-731-3.
  • Garrisson, A.D. (1999). Australian Fighter Aces 1914–1953. Fairbairn, Australian Capital Territory: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26540-2. Archived from the original on 2016-11-24.
  • Newton, Dennis (1996). Australian Air Aces. Fyshwyck, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-25-0.
  • Odgers, George (1984). The Royal Australian Air Force: An Illustrated History. Brookvale, New South Wales: Child & Henry. ISBN 0-86777-368-5.
  • Thomas, Andrew (2005). Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces of the RAF and Commonwealth. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-083-4.
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