Wilfred Clouston

Following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, No. 19 Squadron returned to Duxford and flew night patrols for a period. It was posted to Fowlmere as part of No. 12 Group, initially flying convoy patrols.[14] As the Battle of Britain escalated, the squadron was one of those that formed the Duxford Wing and flew several operations beginning in August. Several Spitfires of the squadron were experimentally fitted with Hispano cannons but these proved problematic and were prone to jamming; eventually the aircraft reverted to their standard Browning machine guns. On 9 August, while flying a cannon-equipped Spitfire, Clouston was credited with half shares in two Bf 109s shot down over the Thames estuary.[15][16] He destroyed two Bf 109s while on patrol with the squadron on 8 September.[17]

A Spitfire of No. 19 Squadron being re-armed at Fowlmere, September 1940

On Battle of Britain Day, 15 September 1940, No. 12 Group was scrambled to support No. 11 Group in its effort to deal with a large bombing raid mounted by the German Luftwaffe. With plenty of notice, the Duxford Wing of five squadrons was scrambled and assembled over London as the bombers approached. When the British fighters attacked, the bombers scattered and Clouston, leading a section of his flight, spotted a group of Dornier Do 17 bombers and managed to destroy one. Later the same day, during another bombing raid mounted by the Germans, he shot down a second Do 17.[18][19] A few days later, he destroyed a Ju 88 over Canterbury.[20]

In November 1940, Clouston, promoted to squadron leader, was appointed commander of No. 258 Squadron, which was based in Yorkshire. The majority of the flying personnel of this newly formed squadron, which operated Hawker Hurricanes, were New Zealanders. It began its operational service flying cover for convoys along the north-east coast but soon shifted to Jurby, in the Isle of Man. From Jurby it flew patrols to target German bombers attacking the ports along the English north east coast. In May 1941, the squadron was shifted to the south east of England and began to fly missions escorting bombers to targets in France.[21] At one stage, Clouston was joined at the squadron by his brother John,[22] who had joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1940 and had been sent to England to fly for the RAF. John was killed in 1944.[4]

By August 1941, the British government had recognised the growing threat that the Japanese Empire presented to its territories in Asia and the New Zealand government was requested to assist in improving British Malaya's air defences. Accordingly, the RNZAF dispatched personnel to form a new fighter squadron in Singapore. As an experienced squadron commander, Clouston was ordered to take command of the squadron, to be designated No. 488 (NZ) Squadron.[5][23]

Clouston arrived in Singapore on 19 September 1941 as the first member of No. 488 Squadron. His flight commanders were in Singapore ten days later and together they greeted the rest of the squadron when it arrived from New Zealand on board the SS Tasman on 10 October.[24] The squadron was based at Kallang and began familiarisation with the Brewster Buffalo aircraft, which it had taken over from No. 67 Squadron.[25] The Buffalo was a poor aircraft and Clouston had concerns about its suitability as a fighter.[26] Despite this, he set about bringing the squadron up to operational readiness as soon as possible but his time was largely taken up with administrative matters and his flight commanders did much of the flying training.[27]

When the Japanese attacked British Malaya in December 1941, the squadron had yet to reach operational standards and intensified its training. By the end of the year it was flying regular patrols aimed at detecting and destroying Japanese reconnaissance aircraft but the Buffaloes were inadequate for the task, having a low operational ceiling.[28] When the squadron began encountering Japanese fighters in mid-January 1942, the poor performance of the Buffaloes were even more exposed. Losses to Japanese fighters and bombing raids on Kallang soon reduced the squadron to only a few aircraft by the end of the month.[29]

On 23 January 1942, Clouston was posted to RAF Air Operations Headquarters with one of the flight commanders taking over responsibility for No. 488 Squadron.[30] During the final days of the Battle of Singapore, with the squadron's pilots having already been evacuated, its ground crew worked to prepare a Hawker Hurricane for Clouston's use in the event he wanted to escape.[31][32] In the end, he took to a launch with other staff from RAF Air Operations but this was sunk in the Bangka Strait during an attack by a Japanese bomber. Rescued by a steamer that was intercepted by the Japanese the following day, he became a prisoner of war (POW).[33] Before his capture, he was still able to facilitate the evacuation of the remaining ground crew of the squadron from Singapore.[34] Clouston was interned for most of the war at a POW camp at Palembang in Sumatra but by the time of the Japanese surrender in September 1945, he was held at Changi Prison back on Singapore.[35]