Group CaptainGroup Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore...
Colin Falkland Gray DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
,
DFCThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and
Two BarsA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(9 November, 1914 – 1 August, 1995) was the top New Zealand
fighter aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.It is said that fighter aces are a dying...
of the Second World War. Gray was credited with 27 aerial kills, two shared destroyed, six probable kills, with a further four shared probables.
He and his twin brother Ken were born in Christchurch. Both joined the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. Ken died in a flying accident on 1 May, 1940.
Colin Gray joined
54 SquadronNo. 54 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It is a reserve squadron based at RAF Waddington, England.
On 1 September 2005 it took on the role of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Operational Conversion Unit, responsible for training all RAF...
in November 1939.
Group CaptainGroup Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore...
Colin Falkland Gray DSOThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
,
DFCThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and
Two BarsA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(9 November, 1914 – 1 August, 1995) was the top New Zealand
fighter aceA flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of air victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.It is said that fighter aces are a dying...
of the Second World War. Gray was credited with 27 aerial kills, two shared destroyed, six probable kills, with a further four shared probables.
Early life
He and his twin brother Ken were born in Christchurch. Both joined the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. Ken died in a flying accident on 1 May, 1940.
RAF service in the Second World War
Colin Gray joined
54 SquadronNo. 54 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It is a reserve squadron based at RAF Waddington, England.
On 1 September 2005 it took on the role of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Operational Conversion Unit, responsible for training all RAF...
in November 1939. After initial combats on 24 May (claiming two 'probable' victories) he downed his first confirmed enemy aircraft, a
Messerschmitt Bf 109The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear...
, on 25 May 1940, while escorting a formation of
Fairey SwordfishThe Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
es to dive-bomb
GravelinesGravelines is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection...
. His
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
was badly damaged in the engagement, and damage to the port aileron forced the aircraft into a dive that was controlled only with great difficulty. Gray's aircraft had also lost its airspeed indicator and control of guns, flaps or brakes. However Gray managed to force land safely at
his base in HornchurchRAF Hornchurch was an airfield in the south of Hornchurch in what is now the London Borough of Havering. Known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, it occupied of the farm of the same name and was situated east north-east of Charing Cross...
.
On 13 July 1940, he shot down his second 109 (of JG 51) near Calais after a long chase at sea level. Another fighter was claimed on 24 July (of JG 54) and a pair of 109s both on 12 August and 16 August. He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying CrossThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(DFC) on 15 August, 1940. Two Bf 110s were destroyed on 18 August.
By early September, Gray had claimed 14.5 kills, as his squadron was sent North to rest and re-equip after being heavily engaged in the
Battle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command...
. After a brief month stay with
43 SquadronNo. 43 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until July 2009.-In World War I:The Squadron was formed at Stirling on 15 April 1916, from No. 18 Reserve Squadron as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps, equipped with various types, which it used for...
, he returned to his old squadron as a flight commander in January 1941.
In June, he was posted to
1 SquadronNo. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Harrier GR7 from RAF Cottesmore.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since World War I...
, again as a flight commander, claiming a share in a
Heinkel He 59The Heinkel He 59 was a German biplane designed in 1930 resulting from a requirement for a torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft able to operate with equal facility on wheeled landing gear or twin-floats.-Development:...
off Folkstone in June 1941.
He claimed a 109 as a 'guest' of No 41 Squadron on 22 August, before a posting to No.403 Squadron RCAF, but after two days, was sent to command No. 616 Squadron. On 20 September, 1941, with a total of 17 confirmed victories, he was awarded the bar to his DFC. In February 1942, he was posted as Squadron Leader, Tactics, to HQ,
9 Group-History:No. 9 Group RAF was first formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. The next month it was transferred to South-Western Area and then disbanded on 15 May 1919....
.
Returning to operations in September 1942, he was attached briefly to No. 485 Squadron for operational experience before taking over No. 64 Squadron, flying the new Mark IX Spitfire.
In December 1942, he was sent as Tactics Officer to No. 333 Group RAF in
AlgiersAlgiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria, and the second largest city in the Maghreb . According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630...
and then took over No. 81 Squadron in January 1943. Following operation over
TunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...
, in May 1943, Gray was awarded the
Distinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.The DSO was instituted on 6 September 1886 by...
. He increased his tally by five, including a 109 of JG 53 and a Macchi C.202 of 5 Stormo on 23 March.
He was promoted to
Wing CommanderWing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Squadron Leader and immediately below Group Captain...
in May 1943 and took over No. 322 Wing RAF for the
Italian campaignThe Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the invasion of...
. In June and July 1943, he claimed five more kills, including two JG 53 109-Gs on 14 June and 10 July, a Macchi C.202 of
1 Stormo on 17 June and two
Junkers Ju 52The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Lufthansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
transports of TG 1 on 25 July. He was awarded a second bar to the DFC in November.
In early September, he returned to England, with a final total of 27½ confirmed victories, six (and four shared) probables, and 12 damaged, in 511 operational sorties. He commanded 61 OCU at
RednalRednal is a residential suburb on the south western edge of metropolitan Birmingham, West Midlands, England, 9 miles south west of Birmingham city centre and forming part of Longbridge parish and electoral ward....
and in July 1944, was appointed Wing Commander Flying of the
DetlingDetling is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs, north-east of the town, and on the Pilgrims' Way ....
Wing. In July he transferred to RAF Lympne, overseeing the Griffon-engined Spitfires engaged in anti V-1 operations over the south coast.
After the war, he continued in various command and staff posts, and was involved in the fighting in the
Malayan EmergencyThe Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. He retired as a
Group CaptainGroup Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore...
in 1961 and returned to New Zealand to work for
UnileverUnilever is a multinational corporation, formed of British and Dutch parentage, that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products...
as personnel Director until 1979.
In 1945, he married Betty Cook, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. He also wrote
Spitfire Patrol, an autobiography detailing his time in the RAF. Gray died in
WaikanaeWaikanae is a small town on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet"...
on 1 August 1995.