The following roll lists the names of New Zealand aircrew who died while serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, July-October 1940. It contains 20 names - of whom 15 were killed in air operations and five as a result of aircraft accidents.
Nearly 3000 aircrew were awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp for having flown at least one authorised operational sortie with an eligible unit of RAF Fighter Command (including a number of attached Coastal Command units) during the period from 10 July to 31 October 1940. Of these, 135 came from New Zealand. They made up the third-largest national contribution after Great Britain and Poland.
See a full and definitive list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (pdf). This list was compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn.
Name | Rank (highest during BoB) | Qualifying Squadron | Aircraft | Cause/Date of Death |
ALLEN, James Henry Leslie | Flying Officer | 151 | Hurricane | Killed on air operations – 12 Jul 1940 |
BICKERDIKE, John Laurance | Pilot Officer | 85 | Hurricane | Killed in aircraft accident – 22 Jul 1940 |
BRENNAN, Jack Stephen | Sergeant | 23 | Blenheim | Killed in aircraft accident – 21 Aug 1940 |
COBDEN, Donald Gordon | Pilot Officer | 74 | Spitfire | Killed on air operations – 11 Aug 1940 |
HIGHT, Cecil Henry | Pilot Officer | 234 | Spitfire | Killed on air operations – |
Pilot Officer | 92 | Spitfire | Killed on air operations – 20 Sep 1940 | |
HOLDER, Robert | Sergeant | 151 | Hurricane | Killed in aircraft accident – 26 Oct 1940 |
HUGHES, David Earnest | Sergeant | 600 | Blenheim | Killed on air operations – 3 Oct 1940 |
KEMP, John Richard | Pilot Officer | 141 | Defiant | Killed on air operations – 19 Jul 1940 |
KIDSON, Rudal | Pilot Officer | 141 | Defiant | Killed on air operations – 19 Jul 1940 |
LOVELL-GREGG, Terence Gunion | Squadron Leader | 87 | Hurricane | Killed on air operations – 15 Aug 1940 |
ORGIAS, Eric | Pilot Officer | 23 | Blenheim | Killed on air operations – 25 Sep 1940 |
PATERSON, James Alfred | Flight Lieutenant | 92 | Spitfire | Killed on air operations – 27 Sep 1940 |
PRIESTLEY, John Sinclair | Pilot Officer | 235 | Blenheim | Killed in aircraft accident – 30 Aug 1940 |
RASMUSSEN, Lauritz Andrew Woodney | Sergeant | 264 | Defiant | Killed on air operations – 4 Sep 1940 |
SIMPSON, Geoffrey Mervyn | Flying Officer | 229 | Hurricane | Killed on air operations – 26 Oct 1940 |
STANLEY, Douglas Owen | Sergeant | 151 | Hurricane | Killed in aircraft accident – 26 Oct 1940 |
WENDEL, Kenneth Victor | Flying Officer | 504 | Hurricane | Killed on air operations – 7 Sep 1940 |
WILLIAMS, Wycliff Stuart | Pilot Officer | 266 | Spitfire | Killed on air operations – 21 Oct 1940 |
YOUNG, Robert Bett Mirk | Sergeant | 264 | Defiant | Killed on air operations – 8 Oct 140 |
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