ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! - Royal New Zealand Air Force

celebrating 75 Years of service to new Zealand
Two Spitfires were on show at Anniversary air show. The
Spitfire has become an icon of wwII and a symbol of britain’s
war effort*. Its distinctive wing shape and the smooth sound
of the mighty Merlin engine re-create for air show crowds the
atmosphere from over 70 years ago when Spitfires, together
with Hawker Hurricanes, fought for freedom against the Nazi
menace.
TWo SPiTFiRES
After wwII, Supermarine developed a two-seat trainer version
of the Spitfire Mark IX known as a Spitfire Tr IX and the type
was used by the Israeli and Irish Air Forces. This Spitfire’s
owner, doug brooker of Auckland, imported the fighter from
the USA in 2007. His two seater, Fl-A, is painted in desert
colours and commemorates colin Gray, who became New
Zealand’s highest scoring fighter pilot of wwII.
CoLin GRAy.
colin Gray left NZ to join the RAF in 1938. He fought in the
battle of britain and was soon recognised for his leadership.
while in the Uk he shot down 17 enemy aircraft and in late
1942 he was posted to North Africa to take command of No.81
Sqn, the first unit to fly the Spitfire Mk IX in the Mediterranean
Theatre.
by the time the North African campaign ended in May 1943
colin Gray had destroyed a further five enemy aircraft and
was awarded the dSo. Promoted to wing commander, he was
appointed to lead 322 wing for the invasion of Sicily. In that
campaign he shot down 5 more aircraft, bringing his total to
27, with one more shared and a further 22 probably destroyed
or damaged. once back in england he held two successive
commands in training units before being appointed wing
commander Flying of the detling wing in late July 1944. The
wing flew in support of the Army in europe and sorties against
the V-1 flying bombs.
colin Gray retired from the RAF in March 1961 as a Group
captain; he returned to NZ and retired at waikanae, where he
died in 1995.
ALAn DEERE.
The other Spitfire is a Mk IX in the grey/green camouflage
of the european theatre and coded Al, the markings of the
Spitfire flown by wing commander Alan deere.
A New Zealander, Alan deere passed selection for the RAF
in 1937 and sailed for england. He began flying training in
october 1937 and early in 1938 he was granted a short service
26 Air Force news
commission in the RAF. Alan was posted to No. 54 Sqn and at
the beginning of 1940 they converted from Gladiators to the
Spitfire Mk 1. like many other pilots, deere was delighted
with the Spitfire, describing it as “the most beautiful and easy
aircraft to fly.”
before the battle of britain opened he had already claimed
6 enemy aircraft, had been shot down once and been awarded
the dFc. during the battle he claimed another 5, with several
probables. However, he was forced down three times, including
being bombed on take off from Hornchurch airfield. In early
September 1940 No.54 Sqn was rotated to Northern england
to rest and regroup; deere was awarded a bar to his dFc.
Subsequently Alan deere rose to command the biggin Hill
wing, was awarded the dSo and by d-day was commanding
a Free French fighter wing. by the end of the war he had
shot down 22 enemy aircraft. He was given a permanent
commission in the RAF and served until 1977 reaching the rank
of Group captain. He died in the Uk in 1995.
Spitfire ‘Al’ has been fully restored by brendon deere of
Feilding, a nephew of Alan. bought from the burmese Air
Force, this airframe was painstakingly stripped down and fully
restored, and is painted as Alan deere’s personal aircraft when
he was leading the biggin Hill wing. This Spitfire is usually
based at ohakea, by arrangement with the RNZAF.
no. 485(nZ) SquADRon
during February, both Spitfires had also been on show for
a reunion at whenuapai of No.485 (NZ) Squadron, the wwII
unit that flew Spitfires in Fighter command and with the
2nd Tactical Air Force for the invasion of Normandy and the
advance through France to Germany in 1944-45. The veterans
were pleased to see ‘their’ aircraft and to sit in the cockpit
one more time. Today, No.485 wing at RNZAF base Auckland
maintains the link to the original squadron in recognition of our
Air Force’s rich heritage.
*See also AFN 105, July 2009.