Below is the list of World War I flying aces from New Zealand. While New Zealand did not have its own military air service during World War I, many New Zealanders did join Australian or British military aviation to fight in the war. Some of New Zealand's first class of aces continued to serve post-war, whether in the Royal Air Force or the Royal New Zealand Air Force ; some served in World War II. Several earned advanced rank in the process.
Name
Air service(s)
Victories
Notes
Keith Caldwell
Royal Flying Corps , Royal Air Force , Royal New Zealand Air Force
25
Rose to Air Commodore in RNZAF [ 1]
Keith Park
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
20
Rose to Chief Air Marshal ; was a crucial commander in the Battle of Britain [ 2]
Ronald Bannerman
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
17
Rose to Air Commodore[ 3]
Arthur Coningham
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
14
Rose to Air Marshal in RAF; pioneered close air support [ 4]
Herbert Gilles Watson
Australian Flying Corps
14
Highest scoring New Zealander in the AFC[ 5]
Clive Franklyn Collett
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
12
First military pilot in British service to parachute from an airplane in January 1917[ 6]
Harold Beamish
Royal Naval Air Service , Royal Air Force
11
Highest scoring New Zealander in the RNAS[ 7]
Malcolm C. McGregor
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
11[ 8]
Frederick Gordon
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
9[ 9]
Herbert Drewitt
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
7
Earned a DFC for trench strafing exploits[ 10]
Thomas Culling
Royal Naval Air Service
6
New Zealand's first ace; Stan Dallas 's wingman[ 11]
Forster Maynard
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force
6
Rose to Air Vice Marshal in RAF;[ 12] commanded air defense of Malta during WWII
Carrick Paul
Australian Flying Corps
5[ 13]
Alan Scott
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
5
Rose to Group Captain before early death[ 14]
Endnotes [ ]
People and aircraft Campaigns and battles Entente Powers air services Central Powers air services