Geoffrey Fisken

Geoffrey Bryson Fisken DFC (born February 17, 1916), was a New Zealand fighter pilot, and the British Commonwealth’s leading air ace in the Pacific theatre of World War II.

Early life

Fisken was born in Gisborne. He was the son of a farmer, and entered that profession himself, farming sheep at Masterton. He learned to fly privately on a DH60 Gypsy Moth prior to World War II.

At the outbreak of war he volunteered for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, but in New Zealand farming was a reserved occupation, and it was not until 1940 that he was able to enlist. Fisken trained at Bell Block and Ohakea, graduating as a Sergeant Pilot in 1941.

ingapore and Malaya

In February 1941, Fisken was posted to Singapore to join No. 205 Squadron RAF on Short Singapore flying boats. When he arrived he discovered these machines were being transferred to No. 5 Squadron RNZAF, so Fisken was instead sent to complete a fighter conversion course on Royal Australian Air Force CAC Wirraways, and Brewster Buffaloes. He was then posted to No. 67 Squadron RAF (which was comprised primarily of New Zealanders), which was forming at Kallang with No. 243 Squadron RAF.

Although the all metal monoplane Buffaloes that were to equip these squadrons were an advance on the biplanes Fisken was used to, (and the Wirraway), the stubby Buffalo has acquired a mixed reputation as a fighter. Successful in Finnish hands, against the Soviets, it was placed on second line duties by the Royal Air Force, who found the aircraft that arrived in Singapore had multiple faults, including second hand poorly conditioned engines, design flaws in the undercarriage, unserviceable weapons and unserviceable oxygen. As increasing numbers of aircraft arrived at the end of 1941, local modifications were hurriedly contrived to make them more battle ready.

In October 1941, as fears of Japanese aggression increased, 67 Squadron moved to Mingaladon, Burma, but Fisken was posted back to Kallang, to join 243 Squadron.

The Japanese attacked Allied territories in Asia and the Pacific on December 8. No. 243 Squadron concentrated on defending HMS "Prince of Wales" and HMS "Repulse". As the Japanese advanced down the Malay Peninsula, Singapore came under an increasing number of bombing raids, and 243 Squadron was tasked with defending the city.

On January 12, 1942, Fisken claimed his first victory, a Ki-27. He claimed a Mitsubishi Zero on January 14, being lucky to land after being caught in the explosion of the Japanese plane. (Allied pilots during this period tended to refer to all Japanese fighters as Zeroes; this aircraft was probably an a Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar", as used by the IJAAF.) On January 17, he shot down, or assisted in the destruction of, three Mitsubishi G3M bombers, and four days later brought down another fighter.

By this time, 243 Squadron had lost the majority of its pilots and virtually all its aircraft and was amalgamated with the Australian No. 453 Squadron RAAF, which continued to operate, along with No. 488 Squadron RNZAF. Fisken claimed another fighter on February 1. Five days later, he was "bounced" by two Japanese fighters. He nevertheless shot one down, but only narrowly escaped the other, being injured in the arm and leg by a cannon shell before the dogfight ended. He was evacuated to New Zealand shortly before from Singapore fell.

No. 14 Squadron RNZAF

In late March the RNZAF formed the surviving pilots from 243 and 488 Squadrons into No. 14 Squadron RNZAF at Ohakea, initially on Harvards, while awaiting delivery of Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks for home defence.

A newly commissioned Pilot Officer Fisken joined 14 squadron from Wigram in April 1943. The squadron was posted to Espiritu Santo and then into the front line at Guadalcanal on June 11. The following day Fisken picked up where he had left off, destroying two Zeroes. On July 4, flying the colourful P-40 "Wairarapa Wildcat" he had his last victories, destroying a further two Zeroes and a Mitsubishi G4M. "Wairarapa Wildcat" also had success in the hands of other pilots and was preserved after the war.

Although these last victories were clearly documented, the number of his victories (as against probables) over Singapore is contested, giving rise to totals of between 10 and 13 in different texts.

Fisken found himself increasingly troubled by the injuries he had received in Singapore, and was medically discharged from the RNZAF in December 1943. He returned to farming.

In 2005, Geoff Fisken and "Wairarapa Wildcat" were reunited at a Masterton airshow.

External links

* [http://www.warbirdforum.com/fisken.htm Buffalo site Biography]
* [http://rnzaf.hobbyvista.com/gf.html Biography]
* [http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=fisken New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum biography]