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Cenotaph record

Colin Falkland Gray

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Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
    GP Captain Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - Death Record
  • Forenames
    Colin Falkland AWMM
  • Surname
    Gray AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Grey AWMM
  • Service number
    • WWII 41844 AWMM
    • 41844 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - Death Record
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    9 November 1914 AWMM Christchurch, Canterbury AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
    Twin Son of Robert Leonard GRAY & Margaret GRAY (nee' LANGFORD) Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 27 June 2023 - NZ BDM Birth Records
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
    Personnel Director (Unilever Co)/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status
    • Pre 1938 AWMM Single AWMM
    • single
      1945 married Betty Lois DINNE (nee' COOK) in Gisborne Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5g18/gray-colin-falkland

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    11 FTS AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    1938 AWMM
    Age 24 AWMM AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Son of Robert Leonard Gray and of Margaret Gray (nee Langford), of Gisborne.

      Two sons, brothers Ken Gray (40342) Colin Falkland Gray (RAF) served with distinction as airmen in WW2.

      Working as a Stock and Station Agent with Dalgety's before enlistment.

      Retired in 1979 in Wellington.

      Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July - 31 October 1940. AWMM
    • Colin Falkland Gray
      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


      Born 9 November 1914
      Christchurch, New Zealand
      Died 1 August 1995 (aged 80)
      Waikanae, New Zealand

      Allegiance United Kingdom and New Zealand
      Service/branch Royal Air Force
      Years of service 1939–1961
      Rank Group Captain
      Commands held No. 81 Squadron and No. 64 Squadron

      Battles/wars

      Second World War

      Battle of Britain
      Mediterranean theatre
      Allied invasion of Sicily

      Awards Distinguished Service Order
      Distinguished Flying Cross & Two Bars

      Relations Personnel Director at Unilever

      Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray DSO, DFC & Two Bars (9 November 1914 – 1 August 1995) was the top New Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War. Born in 1914, Gray was accepted into the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1939 after two previous attempts failed on medical grounds. He flew with No. 54 Squadron during the Battles of France and Battle of Britain, and had shot down 14 aircraft and had a half share in another by September 1940. He later added another 13 kills while leading fighter squadrons and wings in the North African and Italian Campaigns, and finished the war with a confirmed 27½ kills. 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.

      Early life

      Colin Falkland Gray and his twin brother Ken were born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 9 November 1914, the sons of an electrical engineer and his wife. He attended schools in the lower North Island and in Christchurch. He gained employment as a stock clerk in 1933, working at Dalgety and Company. In 1937, Gray, along with Ken, attempted to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1937. While Ken was accepted, Colin failed for medical reasons. A second attempt also resulted in failure on medical grounds and after this, to improve his fitness, Gray took up sheep mustering. He was successful on a third application to join the RAF and was granted a short-term commission at the beginning of 1939. His flight training was conducted at the de Havilland flying school at Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. He was posted to No 11 Flying Training School from which he graduated as a probationary pilot officer in October 1939.

      Second World War

      Gray was posted to No. 54 Squadron, at the time equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and based at Hornchurch, in November.[1] He was confirmed in his rank of pilot officer on 17 January 1940.[2] During the Phoney War he participated in patrols over the English Channel up until May 1940. The death of his brother Ken, in a flying accident on 1 May 1940, affected his morale.

      After initial combat on 24 May (claiming two 'probable' victories), Gray had a share in 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. His aircraft had also lost its airspeed indicator and control of guns, flaps or brakes.[3] Despite this damage, Gray managed to force land safely at Hornchurch.[1]

      On 13 July 1940, Gray shot down his second Bf 109 near Calais after a long chase at sea level. The pilot, Leutnant Hans-Joachim Lange of III./JG 51, was killed. 54 Squadron was heavily engaged in the Battle of Britain, tasked with the defence of the approaches to London. On 24 July, he shot down Staffelkapitän Lothar Ehrlich of 8./JG 52. Gray observed Ehrlich to bail out into the Channel and swim for what Gray believed to be a dingy. He radioed the man's position, but the pilot did not survive the water conditions.[5] Alternately, it is possible his victim was Leutnant Schauff from III./JG 26.[6] On 16 August, he claimed two Bf 109s destroyed. No. 54's opponents were JG 54. I./JG 54 lost one Bf 109—the unnamed pilot being killed in Public - Tricia - Other Relative - 14 May 2015 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Falkland_Gray
    • For a complete history of Colin's War History refer to: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5g18/gray-colin-falkland Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5g18/gray-colin-falkland
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    1 August 1995 AWMM
    Age 80 AWMM
    Waikanae, Wellington Region AWMM
  • Date of death
    1 August 1995 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 30 December 2015 - Porirua City Council's Cemetery Records
  • Age at death
    80yrs Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 30 December 2015 - Porirua City Council's Cemetery Records
  • Place of death
    Kenepuru Hospital, Porirua, Wellington Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 30 December 2015 - Porirua City Council's Cemetery Records
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Porirua Cemetery AWMM
  • Cemetery name
    • Waikanae, Kapiti Coast, NZ Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - Kapiti Coast Cemetery Records
    • Cremated. Record via the Porirua Cmetery Records Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 30 December 2015 - Porirua City Council's Cemetery Records
  • Grave reference
    • Record # 02RSA053; Block RSA; Plot # 1: 53 Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 November 2015 - Kapiti Coast Cemetery Records
    • Record held by Waikanae Funeral Home Ltd, P O Box 300, WAIKANAE Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 30 December 2015 - Porirua City Council's Cemetery Records
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Leave a tribute or memory of Colin Falkland Gray

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  • I'm so honoured to be colins grandaughter I love grandad very much I am going to miss him.
    .I LOVE YOU GRANDAD.
    Public - Maria - Other relative - 29 August 2017
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
    • Contact (Magazine of the New Zealand Ex-Vietnam Services Association) AWMM
      New Zealand's No. 1 Ace.(1944, February). p. 19-21 AWMM
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
      Vol. 3 p. 588 [15] AWMM
    • Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author. AWMM
      pp. 175-184 AWMM
    • Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
    • Auckland Museum Armoury Resource Centre, Biographical vertical file AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn]. AWMM
    • RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] - Historical Items - List of New Zealand Fighter aces with their Scores (Unofficial) December 1944. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845799). AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
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27 June 2023Lorraine MonaGisborneResearcher
20 May 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
15 January 2018LorraineGisborne, NZResearcher
29 August 2017MariaWellington New Zealand Other relative
19 July 2017JeniferWairarapaResearcher

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