Global InformationList of World War II aces from Australia information
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] |
| Mervyn Shipard | 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 | |
| Bruce Bretherton | 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] |
| John Yarra | 12[5][6][7] | 232, 64, 233, 185 RAF 453 RAAF | DFM | KIA 10 December 1942[14] |
| Hugo Armstrong | 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 | |
| William Millington | 11[5] | 79, 249 RAF | DFC | KIA 30 October 1940[17] |
| Robert Whittle | 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 |
| Edward Coate | 10[5][7] | 252, 227, 272 RAF | DFC & Bar | |
| John Cock | 10[6][7] or 11 (10 + 1 shared)[5] | 87, 72 RAF 3, 453 RAAF | DFC | |
| John Curchin | 9[7] or 12 (8 + 4 shared)[5] | 600, 609 RAF | DFC | |
| James Kearney | 9[7] | 31 RAAF | DFC | |
| Colin Parkinson | 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] |
| Kenneth McDonald | 8[7] | 31 RAAF | DFC | |
| John Pain | 8[5] | 32, 261, 73 RAF | ||
| John Perrin | 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 | |
| Ian Russell | 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 | |
| William Storey | 8[5][7] | 135 RAF | DFC | |
| Rex Wilson | 8[5][7] | 3 RAAF | DFM | KIA 9 December 1941[22] |
| John Bartle | 7[5] | 112 RAF, 450 RAAF | ||
| John Bisley | 7[5][7] | DFC | ||
| Alan Boyd | 7[5] | 3, 75, 76, 84, 67 RAAF | ||
| John Boyd | 7[5] | 135, 242, 126 RAF | DFM | KIA 14 May 1942[23] |
| Gregory Graham | 7[5] | 80 RAF | ||
| Keith Hampshire | 7[5][7] or 10[24] | 12, 6, 22, 456 RAAF | DSO & Bar, DFC | |
| Rudolf Leu | 7[5][7] | 112 RAF | DFM | |
| Gordon Tweedale | 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] |
| Roderick Bowes | 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 | |
| Alexander Constantine | 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] |
| Walter Mailey | 6[5][7] | 3 RAAF | DFM | |
| Gordon Olive | 6[7] or 8[5] | 65 RAF, 456 RAAF | DFC | |
| Thomas Paxton | 6[5] | 250, 30 RAF | ||
| Stewart Rees | 6[5][7] | 600 RAF | DFC | |
| John Saunders | 6[5][7] | KIA 22 November 1941[28] | ||
| Desmond Sheen | 6[5][7] | 212, 72 RAF | DFC & Bar | |
| Ronald Simes | 6[5][7] | 3 RAAF | DFM | KIA 9 January 1942[29] |
| Donald Smith | 5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5] | 126, 41 RAF 452, 453 RAAF | DFC | |
| Raymond Thorold-Smith | 6[7] or 7 (6 + 1 shared)[5] | 452 RAAF | DFC | KIA 15 March 1943[30] |
| Geoffrey Atherton | 5[5][7] | 24, 25, 75, 82 RAAF | DFC & Bar | |
| Maxwell Bell | 5[5][7] | 19 RAF | DFC | KIA 9 September 1944[31] |
| Robert Bungey | 5[5][7] | 226, 145 RAF 452 RAAF | DFC | Died 10 June 1943[32] |
| Bobby Bunting | 5[5][7] | 93 RAF | DFC | |
| Henry Burney | 5[5][6][7] | 112 RAF | ||
| Alan Cameron | 5[7] or 7[5] | 3 RAAF | DFM | |
| Alfred Clare | 5[7] | 453, 24, 5 RAAF | ||
| Laurance Cronin | 5[5][7] | 453 RAAF, 81 RAF | DFC | |
| William Cundy | 5[7] or 7 (5 + 2 shared)[5] | 135, 260 RAF 452 RAAF | DFC, DFM | |
| Victor Curtis | 5[5][7] | 3 RAAF | KIA 6 January 1943[33] | |
| Charles Fry | 5[5] or 6[7] | 112 RAF | DFC & Bar | |
| Peter Giddy | 5[5][7] | 3 RAAF | ||
| Richard Glyde | 5[7] or 6 (3 + 3 shared)[5] | 87 RAF | DFC | KIA 14 August 1940[34] |
| Wilfred Goold | 5[5][7] | 607 RAF | DFC | |
| Reginald Gordon | 5 or 6[5][7] | 24, 31 RAF | DFC & Bar | |
| Ronald Hammond | 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 | |
| Donald McBurnie | 5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5] | 238 RAF, 450, 451 RAAF | DFC, DFM | |
| Lawrence McIntosh | 5[5][7] | 112, 111 RAF | ||
| Richard Nitschke | 5[5][7] | 250 RAF | KIA 20 December 1941[36] | |
| Ronald Rankin | 5[7] or 8 (4 + 4 shared)[5] | 272, 236, 227 RAF 30 RAAF | DFC | |
| John Ratten | 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 | |
| Arthur Spurgin | 5[5][7] | 68, 87, 89 RAF 86 RAAF | DFC |
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 1–2
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 32
- ^ a b Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 30
- ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, p. 75
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 139–140
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 162–163
- ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 77–78
- ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, p. 83
- ^ "Gaze, Frederick Anthony Owen "Tony"". TracesOfWar.com. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ "Turnbull, Peter St George Bruce". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Yarra, John William". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Armstrong, Hugo Throssell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 127–128
- ^ "Commemorative Roll – William Henry Millington". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 133
- ^ Andrew Thomas (2005). Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces of the RAF and Commonwealth, p. 103
- ^ "Jackson, John Francis". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Russell, Ian Bedford Nesbitt". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Wilson, Rex Kerslake". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Boyd, John Livingstone". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Bowman, Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2, p. 95
- ^ "Tweedale, Gordon Russell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Foskett, Russell George". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 118
- ^ "Saunders, John Henry William". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Simes, Ronald Henry". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Thorold-Smith, Raymond Edward". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Bell, Maxwell Herron". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 120–121
- ^ "Curtis, Victor Farley". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Glyde, Richard Lindsay". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces of the RAF and Commonwealth, p. 102
- ^ "Nitschke, Richard Hastings". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ "Ratten, John Richard". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 29 June 2013.