Flight Commanders (?)

[BruceMk1]

Hope you can help! The following pilots (four RAAF & one an Aussie in the RNZAF) were all
promoted F/L-either acting or substantive-and may have been flight cdrs on the units
indicated.

F/L JM Kirkman (406017), 229/603 Sqn 6/10/44-26/6/45; MID x2 (recommended for DFC?)

F/L RH Small (412727), 229 Sqn. KIA 23/6/44

F/L DJ Wilson (414286), 130 Sqn. KIA 8/12/44

F/L George Roberts (409322), 74 Sqn 30/4/45-20/6/45. Apparently posted as a supernumerary-did he become a f/cdr with this unit? Previously f/cdr with 453 & 66 sqns.

F/L RJ Dall (NZ41535), 33 Sqn 16/4/45-4/7/45 (KIFA). Prior service with 486 & 198 sqns-
f/cdr on later & awarded DFC.

I have enough background information on Roberts & Dall-courtesy of 'Those Other Eagles'- but would welcome any on the others.



Cheers, Bruce

[jossleclercq]

Hello Bruce,

Can you manage to access Errol Martyn's "For Your tomorrow" volumes 2 and 3 ? You'll find details about Dall in them. If I remember correctly, his nickname was "Bluey" or something like it, as told by Belgian Typhoon pilot Raymond "Cheval" Lallemant, who flew with him in no. 198 Squadron.

Joss

[BruceMk1]

Hi Joss,

I wasn't familiar with the 'For Your Tomorrow' volumes but will look out for them. Thanks for the tip!

Bruce

[Oggie2620]

Bruce
The author of the books Errol Martyn has an account on this forum. If you pm him he should be able to give you more information about your RNZAF guy. Wonder why an Aussie joined RNZAF rather than RAF? Please let us know more...
Dee

[Errol Martyn]

Bruce,


From my trilogy 'For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998)':

Wed 4 Jul 1945
2nd TACTICAL AIR FORCE
Test flight
33 Squadron, RAF (B109 [Quakenbrück], Germany - 135 Wing, 84 Group)
Tempest F.V Srs.II SN160 - giving a farewell display over B155 (Dedelstorf) at 1500, prior to the pilot leaving his Squadron for a posting to Burma. When inverted during a slow roll at 1300 feet lost control and crashed on the airfield, disintegrating and bursting into flames on impact. The pilot is buried at Celle.
Pilot: NZ41535 Flt Lt Robert James DALL, DFC, RNZAF - Age 32. 991hrs (76 on Tempest) 286 ops.
Dall, commander of ‘A’ Flight, had flown 19 ops with the Squadron, 222 with 486 Sqn, RNZAF, and 45 with 198 Sqn, RAF.

And from Vol Three (Biographies & Appendices):

Amendments:
p351; DALL, R J – had earlier landed at B155, then took off from there for return to B109 but crashed during his aerobatic display.

Biogrpahies:
DALL, Flight Lieutenant Robert James, DFC.
NZ41535; b Melbourne, Vic., Australia 15 Nov 12; South Melbourne TColl; engineer - A E Herbert, Auckland. RANR (Melbourne Div) 1yr; to NZ 1938; RNZAF Levin/ITW as Air Observer u/t 19 Jan 41, remust as Airman Pilot u/t 21 Mar 41, 4EFTS 23 Mar 41, emb for Canada 26 May 41, att RCAF 13 Jun 41, 10SFTS 16 Jun 41, Sgt 1 Sep 41, Pilots Badge & Sgt 2 Sep 41, 1 Y Depôt 7 Sep 41, att RAF & emb for UK 15 Sep 41, 3PRC 29 Sep 41, 61OTU (Spitfire) 21 Oct 41, 132 Sqn (Spitfire) 23 Dec 41, 486 Sqn RNZAF (Hurricane, Typhoon - 222 ops) 7 Mar 42, Comm 16 May 42, baled out when a/c caught fire (uninj) 4 Aug 42, ldg acc (uninj) 31 Oct 42, 198 Sqn (Typhoon - 45 ops) 16 Dec 43, D Napier & Sons at Luton as test pilot 13 Apr 44, 12PD&RC 10 Sep 44, emb for NZ 2 Oct 44, ctba 1 Dec 44, rtd NZ & 1PD Pool 5 Dec 44, NEP 7 Dec 44, ACP 19 Feb 45, 2OTU (P-40) 7 Mar 45, OTP 16 Mar 45, att RAF & to UK 22 Mar 45, [12PD&RC?] c.29 Mar 45, 84GSU (Tempest) 2 Apr 45, 33 Sqn (Tempest - 19 ops) 16 Apr 45, kaa 4 Jul 45. Celle War Cemetery - 2.D.2, Germany. Son of Clarence Christian & Catherine Charlotte Dall (née Rosser, later Duthie), Hawkesburn, Vic, Australia; h of Nancy Russell Dall, (formerly Husband, née Henderson), Merivale, Chch. Note: credited with 1 e/a dest, 2 shared dest, 4 dam, 2 dest on ground, 1 dam on ground & 5 shared dam on ground. [BSD & phot. TWN 12.5.43].

More about his time with 486 Sqn can be found in Paul Sortehaug's history of the Squadron, 'The Wild Winds'.

BSD = Colin HAnson's 'By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999':

DALL, Squadron Leader Robert James, DFC.
NZ41535; Born Melbourne, Australia, 15 Nov 1912; RNZAF 19 Jan 1941 to (kaa) 4 Jul 1945; Pilot.
Citation Distinguished Flying Cross (19 May 1944): [198 Sqn RAF (Typhoon)] Acting Flight Lieutenant Dall has taken part in many operational sorties of a varied nature, during which he has inflicted much damage on enemy shipping. He has throughout shown keenness and enthusiasm in his duties as flight commander and great courage in the face of enemy opposition.
Served with 132 Sqn RAF (Spitfire), 486 Sqn RNZAF and 198 Sqn RAF (both Typhoon). On his ‘rest’ tour he was a test pilot testing Napier Sabre engines. He then returned to NZ in Dec 1944, leaving for the UK for his second tour of overseas duty in Mar 1945. He joined 33 Sqn RAF in Holland carrying out further operational sorties. Kaa Dedelstorf, Germany, 4 Jul 1945 with 33 Sqn RAF (Tempest), his aircraft struck the ground whilst recovering from aerobatics. Sqn Ldr Dall had flown 286 sorties. Buried Celle War Cemetery, Germany.

Errol

[COL BRUGGY]

Bruce/Errol,

Re: Dall.

There is also this undigitised A705 Casualty file at the NAA:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=1066903

Col.

[Errol Martyn]

Thanks Col.

I imagine that this casualty file was created as a result of RJD's parents still being Australian residents at the time he was killed, official Air Ministry correspondence being transmitted to them via the Aussie authorities.

Errol

[BruceMk1]

Thanks Errol; that's most helpful and answers just about all my questions re Dall.

Dee: as you can see below, Dall moved to NZ in 1938-at the age of 25/26-to take up employment. He wasn't the only Aussie to join the RNZAF; another notable fighter pilot
was F/L RG Kleimeyer, DFC.

Thanks to Col too!



Bruce