List of World War II aces from Australia

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	Killed in flying accident on 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

Notes

1. Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 1–2
2. Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 32
3. Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 30
4. Newton, Australian Air Aces, p. 75
5. Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 117–118
6. Odgers, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 125
7. 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 24 November 2016.
• 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.