Colin Falkland Gray

Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray, DSO, DFC & Two Bars (9 November 1914 – 1 August 1995) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and the top New Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War. He was credited with at least 27 aerial victories.

Born in Christchurch, Gray was accepted into the RAF in 1939 on a short service commission, after two previous attempts failed on medical grounds. He flew with No. 54 Squadron during the Battle of France. His twin brother Ken, who had also joined the RAF and was a bomber pilot, was killed in a flying accident at this time. He flew extensively for the majority of the Battle of Britain and by September 1940, he had shot down 14 German aircraft and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). He fulfilled a training role for the next few months before returning to offensive operations in early 1941.

Gray commanded No. 616 Squadron during the Circus offensive and was awarded a Bar to his DFC before being sent to the Mediterranean theatre of operations to lead No. 64 Squadron. By 1943 he was a wing commander and flew a number of operations in the North African and Italian Campaigns and by the end of the year he had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. A return to Europe followed and in September 1944, he commanded a wing supporting the airborne operations of the Battle of Arnhem. After the war he held a number of staff and command positions in the RAF before his eventual retirement in 1961. He returned to New Zealand to work for Unilever. He died in 1995 at the age of 80.