Unknown WWII NZ fighter aces

[chinapilot]

Interesting to see the recently posted photos.

Noel Faircloth was active in the general aviation scene after the war.

Great guy but unfortunately died in the Tahiti Pan Am accident in 1974 (May have been the Pago Pago one).

[baronbeeza]

"Group of No. 486 Squadron members at a reunion at RNZAF Base Wigram.- 20/11/1982"

I was living in the mess at that time. I remember the guys gathering outside for these pics.

They looked at me and remarked that I appeared so young.
A reminder to them as to how fresh faced they would have been.

That was 40 years ago, the same length of time between their service and the re-union.


I was in uniform so may have even been Orderly Officer at the time.

[errolmartyn]

May 29, 2022 16:41:04 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

Interesting to see the recently posted photos.

Noel Faircloth was active in the general aviation scene after the war.

Great guy but unfortunately died in the Tahiti Pan Am accident in 1974 (May have been the Pago Pago one).

WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY 1974
Pan American World Awirays Boeing 707-321B N454PA Clipper Radiant
(American Samoa)
Total 101 on board – 10 Crew + 91 passengers:
9 + 82 died the day of the crash, 1 pax on 31 Jan, 2 pax & 1 crew 2 Feb & 1 pax 8 Feb = 97 dead and 4 survivors.

Errol

[delticman]

Noel was Chief Flying instructor at Wanganui Aero Club in early 1960's.

[chinapilot]

Thanks Errol - wasn’t in NZ at the time and heard about Noel dying in one of them years later.
They also lost one in Bali that year also.
Sad end to a great guy after what he had done during the war and in aviation afterwards.

[philipb]

May 25, 2022 14:44:21 GMT 12 skywise said:

May 24, 2022 13:06:53 GMT 12 McFly said:

Hi 'Skywise', can you check the spelling you have for Kevin with his son Terry, as research seems to indicate it's 'McCarthy' rather than 'MacCarthy' and in which case provides the following photos from the Air Force Museum collection.


"Group of No. 486 Squadron 'A' Flight personnel in their dispersal room, RAF Station Tangmere. - Circa June 1943 (MUS95173).(link)
L-R: Standing; LJ Appleton, JG Wilson, K McCarthy, JR Powell, AH Smith, F Murphy, NE Preston, RH Fitzgibbon. Seated; DJ Scott, NW Faircloth. On Floor; RJ Danzey, Flight Lieutenant HN Thomas (Intelligence Officer), M Lees, JA Froggatt."




"Group of No. 486 Squadron personnel in front of Typhoon SA-F, at RAF Station, Tangmere. Circa 1944 (PR8495) (link)
L-R: On propeller; JR Cullen, F Murphy, WJ Swinton.
On wing; JR Powell, NW Faircloth, RH Fitzgibbon, RJ Dall, JA Frogatt, DG Fail, K McCarthy, Jones, NE Preston (leaning forward), LJ Appleton, RJ Danzey, CN Gall, N Parkes (armourer).
Standing; AN Sames, MO Jorgensen, Flight Lieutenant HN Thomas (Intelligence Officer), WB Tyerman, Group Captain WJ Crisham, DJ Scott, ID Waddy, AH Smith, JG Wilson, Seward, Thomson."




"Group of No. 486 Squadron members at a reunion at RNZAF Base Wigram.- 20/11/1982 (2012-405.194) (link)
L-R: Back; Steedman, Gearon, Cooke, Sweetman, Evans, Atkinson, Walker, Wilson, McDonald, Appleton, MacAlister.
Middle; O'Connor, Bill Hart, McCarthy, McCaw, Waddy, Scott, Sheddan, Smith, Eagleson, Fittall, Burgess, Warren, Hart.
Front; Ross, Miller, Brash, Parkes, Duncan."




"No. 486 Squadron members at a reunion at RNZAF Base Wigram forming the number "486". - 20/11/1982 (2012-405.195)" (link)

[Dave Homewood]

Was Flight Lieutenant Edwin Topham, NZ411955, also an RNZAF fighter ace?

His Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database entry claims so:
www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/95937?

And the NZ Herald claimed he was the top-scoring flying bomb airman in this photo caption published 15th of July 1944:
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19440715.2.21

Just how many aircraft and/or flying bombs did he claim as destroyed? I cannot find anything else on him.

[Antonio]

He is listed in Aces High - Volume Two but with no nationality given.
Credited with 10 V.1 (9 + 1 shared) plus a Bf 109 damaged while flying Spitfire XIVs with 91 Squadron.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Antonio.

[Dave Homewood]

He does not seem to appear on the NZ birth register for the date given as his birthdate on the Cenotaph site, so maybe he was born overseas and came to NZ before joining the RNZAF?

[errolmartyn]

NZ411955 Edwin Topham was born at Eltham on 18 Nov 1917 and died on 25 May 1997 (he is buried or commemorated at Matamata).
Errol

[Antonio]

1944: 21st June; Spitfire XIV NH707. V-1 destroyed.                             
1944: 27th June; Spitfire XIV RB183. V-1 destroyed South-east of Detling.
1944: 29th June; Spitfire XIV NH707. V-1 shared destroyed over Dungeness.
1944: 29th June; Spitfire XIV NH654. V-1 destroyed over Sittingbourne.
1944: 29th June; Spitfire XIV RB169. V-1 destroyed south of Ashford.
1944: 4th July; Spitfire XIV RB181. V-1 destroyed over Sevenoaks.
1944: 10th July; Spitfire XIV NH698. V-1 destroyed over Wittersham.
1944: 22nd July; Spitfire NH707. V-1 destroyed north-east of Bexhill.
1944: 29th July; Spitfire ?. V-1 destroyed south-east of Tunbridge Wells.
1944: 23rd August; Spitfire IX MH998. V-1 destroyed south-west of West Malling.
1944: 5th December; Spitfire ?. Bf.109 Damaged.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Antonio, excellent detail there. Definitely an ace, and a Kiwi. A great find.