Colin Falkland Gray

Colin Falkland Gray
Colin Gray c. 1942
Birth name	Colin Falkland Gray
Born	9 November 1914(1914-11-09) Christchurch, New Zealand
Died	1 August 1995(1995-08-01) (aged 80) Waikanae, New Zealand
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Rank	Wing Commander
Unit	No. 1 Squadron RAF No. 43 Squadron RAF No. 616 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Channel Front Malayan Emergency
Awards	Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars
Other work	Personnel Director at Unilever until 1979

Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray DSO, DFC and Two Bars (9 November 1914 – 1 August 1995) was the top New Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War. Gray was credited with 27 aerial kills, two shared destroyed, six probable kills, with a further four shared probables.^[1]

Early life

He and his twin brother Ken were born in Christchurch. Both joined the Royal Air Force. Ken died in a flying accident on 1 May 1940.

RAF service in the Second World War

Gray qualified as a pilot in January 1939 and joined 54 Squadron in November 1939. After initial combats on 24 May (claiming two 'probable' victories) he downed his first confirmed enemy aircraft, a Messerschmitt Bf 109, on 25 May 1940, while escorting a formation of Fairey Swordfish to dive-bomb Gravelines. His Spitfire 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.^[2] However Gray managed to force land safely at his base in Hornchurch.

On 13 July 1940 he shot down his second 109 (of JG 51) near Calais after a long chase at sea level. Another Bf 109 fighter was claimed on 24 July. Gray's victim was Leutnant Schauff of Adolf Galland's III./Jagdgeschwader 26.^[3] A pair of 109s were claimed on 12 August and 16 August. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 15 August 1940. Two Bf 110s were destroyed on 18 August 1940 in a series of air battles known as The Hardest Day.

By early September Gray had claimed 14.5 kills, and his Squadron was sent North to rest and re-equip after being heavily engaged in the Battle of Britain. Most of its surviving pilots were posted to other units with those remaining tasked with the operational training of new pilots. After a brief month stay with 43 Squadron, he returned to his old Squadron as a flight commander in January 1941.

In June he was posted to No. 1 Squadron as a flight commander, claiming a share in a Heinkel He 59 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.

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 in Algiers and then took over No. 81 Squadron in January 1943. Following operation over Tunisia, in May 1943 Gray was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. 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 Commander in May 1943 and took over No. 322 Wing for the Italian campaign. 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 52 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.^[4] He commanded 61 OCU at Rednal and in July 1944 was appointed Wing Commander Flying of the Detling Wing. In July he transferred to RAF Lympne, overseeing the Griffon-engined Spitfires engaged in anti V-1 operations over the south coast.

Post-war

After the war he continued in various command and staff posts, and was involved in the fighting in the Malayan Emergency. He retired as a Group Captain in March 1961 and returned to New Zealand to work for Unilever 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 Waikanae on 1 August 1995.

Notes

1. ^ Price 1997, p. 64.
2. ^ Price, Alfred. Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-1941 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 12). Osprey Publishing (UK). ISBN 1-85532-627-2.  pp. 11-13
3. ^ Baker 1996, p. 93.
4. ^ Aces High; Shores & Williams, page 299.

References

• Baker, David. Adolf Galland: The Authorised Biography. London: Windrow and Green, 1996. ISBN 978-1859150177.
• Price, Dr Alfred. (1997). Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-41. Osprey Publishing. London. ISBN 978-1-85532-627-9
• Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray at nzfpm.co.nz (accessed 10 August 2007)
• The London Independent obituary, 30 September 1995 (accessed 10 August 2007)

Persondata
Name	Gray, Colin Falkland
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 November 1914
Place of birth	Christchurch, New Zealand
Date of death	1 August 1995
Place of death	Waikanae, New Zealand