Minden Vaughan Blake

Forenames

Minden Vaughan AWMM

Surname

Blake AWMM

Also known as

• Mindy AWMM
• Naughton AWMM

Service number

WWII 36095 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Birth

13 Feb 1913 AWMM

Post war occupation

Inventor/Civilian AWMM

Relationship status

Pre 1937 AWMM Single/WWII AWMM

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Campaign

• North Sea (Naval) AWMM
• 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
• Europe (Air Force) AWMM

Armed force / branch

Air Force AWMM

Service number

WWII 36095 AWMM

Military service

• Royal Air Force, No. 17 Squadron AWMM
• Royal Air Force, No. 10 Flying Training School AWMM
  Posted there from No. 17 Squadron as an instructor AWMM
• Royal Air Force, No. 233 Squadron AWMM
• Royal Air Force, No. 234 Squadron AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
  DFC awarded for shooting down a DO215 and DO17. AWMM
• Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) AWMM
  DSO awarded for shooting down a JU88, BF109 and 2 BF109's. AWMM
• 1939-45 Star (Battle of Britain clasp) AWMM
  Citation: "During the past ten months, this officer has completed numerous sorties including many attacks on enemy shipping. He has rendered valuable service and his leadership has been of the highest order. He has destroyed at least nine hostile aircraft." (Haigh & Polaschek, p302) AWMM
• Air Crew Europe Star AWMM
• Defence Medal AWMM
• War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM

Enlistment

Inter War 1937 AWMM
Age  24 AWMM
Teacher/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

Inter War Pilot Officer AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM

Capture details

• WW2
  19 Aug 1942-May 1945 AWMM
  Shot down after destroying a FW190 AWMM
• WW2 POW - Europe RNZAF AWMM
  Aug 1942 AWMM

Medical notes

• Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
  Eyes badly injured by perspex splinters from windscreen when shot down on 19 August 1942 AWMM
• Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
  Broken hand and head injuries sustained during escape from train taking him to a POW camp in Germany AWMM

Last rank

Post WW2 28 Nov 1958 AWMM Wing Commander AWMM
Royal Air Force, Polish Wing AWMM

Blake lectured in physics at Canterbury University in 1936. He narrowly missed receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, and instead was happy to be accepted into the Royal Air Force (RAF) under the Commonwealth scheme.

He helped to develop the RAF's first gyroscopic gunsight in 1942.

Invented a golf simulator.

Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July- 31 October 1940 AWMM

Death

30 Nov 1981 AWMM
Age  68 AWMM

Related Serviceperson

External links

• NZ Fighter Aces
  http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/aces/blake.htm
  Further Reference
• Battle of Britain, a website.
  http://web.archive.org/web/20060403113135/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html
  Further Reference
• Battle of Britain Historical Society, a website.
  http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
  Further Reference
• Wikidata Entity
  http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q93952261
  Further Reference
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Air Force Officers and OR's [Other Ranks], Prisoners of War in Europe and Far East, Archives New Zealand, R17845754, ADQA 17263 AIR118/107/76/6
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845754
  Further Reference
• See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
  Further Reference
• Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
  https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
  Further Reference
• Wikipedia contributors. (2025, November 15). List of World War II aces from New Zealand. In Wikipedia.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_New_Zealand
  Further Reference
• Report of his events during WW2:
  http://www.aircrewremembered.com/blake-minden-vaughan.html
  Public - Kelvin - Researcher - 13 December 2021 - http://www.aircrewremembered.com/blake-minden-vaughan.html

References

• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1942). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 5 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1941 to 30 September, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
• Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
  Wynn, K. (1981). p. 23-28
• 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].
• 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).
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Air Force Officers and OR's [Other Ranks], Prisoners of War in Europe and Far East, Archives New Zealand, R17845754, ADQA 17263 AIR118/107/76/6
• Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.