He then gained employment as a clerk in 1933, working at a livestock company in Napier. He attended several different schools, including two years at Christ's College in Christchurch, a year at Wellesley College in Wellington, before finishing his formal education at Napier Boys' High School in Napier. He died in 1995 at the age of 80.Ĭolin Falkland Gray and his twin brother Ken were born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 9 November 1914, the sons of an electrical engineer, Robert Leonard Gray, and his wife, Margaret née Langford. He returned to New Zealand to work for Unilever. After the war he held a number of staff and command positions in the RAF before his eventual retirement in 1961. He finished the war with a confirmed 27 victories. A return to Europe followed and in September 1944, he commanded a wing supporting the airborne operations of the Battle of Arnhem. By the end of the year he had destroyed at least a further 13 enemy aircraft and been awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

By 1943 he was a wing commander and flew a number of operations in the North African and Italian Campaigns. Gray commanded No. 616 Squadron on the Channel Front and was awarded a Bar to his DFC before being sent to the Mediterranean theatre of operations to lead No. 64 Squadron. He fulfilled a training role for the next few months before returning to offensive operations in early 1941. He flew extensively for the majority of the Battle of Britain and by September 1940, he had shot down 14 enemy aircraft and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). His twin brother, who had also joined the RAF and was a bomber pilot, was killed in a flying accident at this time. He flew with No. 54 Squadron during the Battle of France. Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray, DSO, DFC & Two Bars (9 November 1914 – 1 August 1995) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and the top New Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War.īorn in Christchurch, Gray was accepted into the RAF in 1939 on a short service commission, after two previous attempts failed on medical grounds. Gray, pictured during his time in command of No.

Fighting Talk by Colin S. Gray