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Cenotaph record

Hector Douglas McGregor

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Hector was awarded the Legion of Merit Degree of Officer USA.

Hector was awarded the Legion of Merit Degree of Officer USA.

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Hector Douglas AWMM
  • Surname
    McGregor AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    WWII 27031 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    15 February 1910 AWMM Wairoa, Hawkes Bay AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1928 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    Inter War Apr 1928 AWMM
    Age 18 AWMM
    Student/Civilian 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

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Educated at Napier Boys' High School.

    Enlisted in RAF on a short service commission in 1928 and received a permanent commission in 1932.

    Officer Commanding (OC) of 33 (Fighter) Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), 1938-39.

    Squadron Leader - March 1939.

    Wing Commander and Commanding Officer (CO) of 213 Squadron, RAF, 1940

    Group Captain and Deputy Director (DD) of Operations, Mediterranean Air Command, 1943-44.

    Air Commodore and Allied Deputy Director of Operations, Intelligence Plans, North Africa and Italy, 1944.

    Took an important part in the negotiations at the time of the Italian Armistice, concerning the handing over of the Italian Air Force. He met the Italian Air Chiefs in Sicily and instructed them on what they were required to do. Was commander of RAF Tangmere and RAF Ballyhalbert.

    Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Levant, 1945-46.

    Air Ministry, 1948-49.

    Member of NATO Planning Staff, Washington, DC, USA, 1949-51.

    AOC No. 2 Group, BAFO, 1951-53.

    Director of Guided Weapons Tech Development, 1953.

    Air Vice Marshal - 1954.

    Assistant Controller of Aircraft, 1956.

    Assistant Chief of Staff (CoS), Air Defence Division, S.H.A.P.E., 1957-59.

    Air Marshal - July 1959.

    Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Fighter Command, RAF, 1959-62.

    Commander-in-Chief, Far East Air Force, 1962-64.

    Retired 1964.

    Achieved highest rank of any New Zealander who took part in the Battle of Britain.

    6 confirmed victories.

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

About death

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  • Death
    11 April 1973 AWMM
    Age 63 AWMM
    United Kingdom, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • 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. AWMM
    • Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author. AWMM
      p. 275-277 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
25 May 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher

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