List of World War II aces from Australia

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]

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

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

Name Victories Unit(s) Awards Notes
Clive Caldwell28½[6][7] or 30, i.e. 27 + 3 shared. [5]250, 112 Sqdns RAF; 1 Wing RAAF (CO)DSO, DFC & BarIn North Africa, Caldwell is credited with 21–23 victories; and in the South West Pacific, with 6½–7 victories.
Adrian Goldsmith16¼[6] or 17[5][7]234, 242, 126 RAF 452 RAAFDFC, DFM
Paterson Hughes15[6][7] or 17 (14 + 3 shared)[5]64, 234, 247 RAFDFCKIA 7 September 1940[8]
Keith Truscott15[5] or 16[6][7]452, 76 RAAFDFC & BarKIFA 28 March 1943[9]
John Waddy15[7] 15½[5][6]250, 260, 92 RAF 4 SAAF 80 RAAFDFC
Les Clisby14[6] or 16[5][7]1 RAFDFCKIA 15 May 1940[10]
Charles Scherf14[5] or 14½[6][7]418 RCAFDSO, DFC & Bar
Nigel Cullen13[6] or 16[5][7]267, 80 RAFDFCKIA 4 March 1941[11]
Mervyn Shipard13[5] or 14[6][7]68, 89 RAFDFC & Bar
Tony Gaze12[7] or 14 (11 + 3 shared)[5] or 14.5[12]610, 616, 64, 129, 66, 41, RAFDFC & Two BarsScore includes one V-1 flying bomb.
Nicky Barr12[6][7]3 RAAFMC, DFC & Bar
Bruce Bretherton12[5][6][7]73 255 267 RAFDFC
Peter Turnbull12[5][6][7]3, 75, 76 RAAFDFCKIA 27 August 1942[13]
John Yarra12[5][6][7]232, 64, 233, 185 RAF 453 RAAFDFMKIA 10 December 1942[14]
Hugo Armstrong11[5][6]126, 611, 72 RAF, 452 RAAFDFC & BarKIA 5 February 1943 [15]
Charles Crombie11[7] or 12[5][6]25, 89, 176, 89 RAFDSO, DFCKIFA 26 August 1945[16]
Howard Mayers11[6][7] or 12 (11 + 1 shared)[5]94, 601 RAFDSO, DFC & Bar
William Millington11[5]79, 249 RAFDFCKIA 30 October 1940[17]
Robert Whittle11[6][7] or 13 (10 + 3 shared)[5]250 RAF 86 RAAFDFM
Bobby Gibbes10¼[6][18] or 12 (10 + 2 shared)[5]450, 3 RAAFDSO, DFC & Bar
Virgil Brennan10[6][7]64, 249 RAF 452, 79 RAAFDFC, DFMKIFA 13 June 1943
Edward Coate10[5][7]252, 227, 272 RAFDFC & Bar
John Cock10[6][7] or 11 (10 + 1 shared)[5]87, 72 RAF 3, 453 RAAFDFC
John Curchin9[7] or 12 (8 + 4 shared)[5]600, 609 RAFDFC
James Kearney9[7]31 RAAFDFC
Colin Parkinson9[5] or 10[6][7]19, 56, 603, 229 RAFDFC
Norman Williams910, 35 RAF, 23 RAAFCGM, DFM & BarBomber Command
Wilfred Arthur8[5] or 10[6][7]3, 75, 76 RAAFDSO, DFC
John Jackson8[5][7][19]23, 3, 75 RAAFDFCKIA 28 April 1942[20]
Kenneth McDonald8[7]31 RAAFDFC
John Pain8[5]32, 261, 73 RAF
John Perrin8[5] or 10[6][7]87, 54 RAF 3, 5, 24, 76 RAAFDFC
Alan Rawlinson8[5] or 10[6][7]3, 79 RAAFDFC & Bar
Ian Russell8[7] or 10[5][6]245, 607, 609 RAFDFCKIA 1 June 1940 [21]
Gordon Steege8[5][7]11, 260 RAF, 3, 450 RAAFDSO, DFC
William Storey8[5][7]135 RAFDFC
Rex Wilson8[5][7]3 RAAFDFMKIA 9 December 1941[22]
John Bartle7[5]112 RAF, 450 RAAF
John Bisley7[5][7]DFC
Alan Boyd7[5]3, 75, 76, 84, 67 RAAF
John Boyd7[5]135, 242, 126 RAFDFMKIA 14 May 1942[23]
Gregory Graham7[5]80 RAF
Keith Hampshire7[5][7] or 10[24]12, 6, 22, 456 RAAFDSO & Bar, DFC
Rudolf Leu7[5][7]112 RAFDFM
Gordon Tweedale7[5][7]43, 126, 155 RAFDFMKIA 9 May 1942[25]
Russell Foskett6½[5][7]80, 94 RAFOBE, DFCKIA 31 October 1944[26]
Roderick Bowes6[5][7]79 RAFDFCKIA 21 May 1943[27]
Keith Chisholm6[7] or 7[5] (5 + 2 shared)452 RAAFMC, DFM
Alexander Constantine6[5][7]141, 273, 136 RAF
Robert Cowper6[5][7]153, 89, 108 RAF 456 RAAFDFC & BarScore includes one V-1 flying bomb[5]
Walter Mailey6[5][7]3 RAAFDFM
Gordon Olive6[7] or 8[5]65 RAF, 456 RAAFDFC
Thomas Paxton6[5]250, 30 RAF
Stewart Rees6[5][7]600 RAFDFC
John Saunders6[5][7]KIA 22 November 1941[28]
Desmond Sheen6[5][7]212, 72 RAFDFC & Bar
Ronald Simes6[5][7]3 RAAFDFMKIA 9 January 1942[29]
Donald Smith5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5]126, 41 RAF 452, 453 RAAFDFC
Raymond Thorold-Smith6[7] or 7 (6 + 1 shared)[5]452 RAAFDFCKIA 15 March 1943[30]
Geoffrey Atherton5[5][7]24, 25, 75, 82 RAAFDFC & Bar
Maxwell Bell5[5][7]19 RAFDFCKIA 9 September 1944[31]
Robert Bungey5[5][7]226, 145 RAF 452 RAAFDFCDied 10 June 1943[32]
Bobby Bunting5[5][7]93 RAFDFC
Henry Burney5[5][6][7]112 RAF
Alan Cameron5[7] or 7[5]3 RAAFDFM
Alfred Clare5[7]453, 24, 5 RAAF
Laurance Cronin5[5][7]453 RAAF, 81 RAFDFC
William Cundy5[7] or 7 (5 + 2 shared)[5]135, 260 RAF 452 RAAFDFC, DFM
Victor Curtis5[5][7]3 RAAFKIA 6 January 1943[33]
Charles Fry5[5] or 6[7]112 RAFDFC & Bar
Peter Giddy5[5][7]3 RAAF
Richard Glyde5[7] or 6 (3 + 3 shared)[5]87 RAFDFCKIA 14 August 1940[34]
Wilfred Goold5[5][7]607 RAFDFC
Reginald Gordon5 or 6[5][7]24, 31 RAFDFC & Bar
Ronald Hammond5[7]248 RAFDFM
Richard Hillary5[5][7]603 RAFKIA 8 January 1943
Leslie Jackson5[5][7]21, 23, 75 RAAFDFC & Bar
Peter Jeffrey5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5][35]3, 75, 76 RAAFDSO, DFC
Donald McBurnie5[7] or 6 (5 + 1 shared)[5]238 RAF, 450, 451 RAAFDFC, DFM
Lawrence McIntosh5[5][7]112, 111 RAF
Richard Nitschke5[5][7]250 RAFKIA 20 December 1941[36]
Ronald Rankin5[7] or 8 (4 + 4 shared)[5]272, 236, 227 RAF 30 RAAFDFC
John Ratten5[5][7]72 RAF 453 RAAFDFCKIA 27 February 1945[37]
Leonard Reid5[7] or 7[5]504, 185, 130 RAF 79, 452 RAAFDFC
Arthur Spurgin5[5][7]68, 87, 89 RAF 86 RAAFDFC

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"". World War Two Awards. 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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