List of World War II aces from Australia


This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Australia. An "ace" is generally considered to be any pilot who has downed five or more enemy aircraft, though the term has never been officially adopted by the Royal Australian Air Force. Accordingly, the numbers of victories attained by its fighter pilots were not routinely publicised by the RAAF during the war. Historians have gleaned figures from combat reports, unit histories, personnel records, and award citations, which sometimes recorded the pilot’s tally of victories at the time the decoration was recommended. The top-scoring Australian ace of World War II, Clive Caldwell, is generally credited with 28½ victories, that is 27 solo "kills" and three shared, or a total of 30 if shared victories are counted as one each. His total was almost twice that of the second-highest scoring Australian ace, Adrian Goldsmith with 17.
For aces of other countries, see List of World War II aces by country.
NameVictoriesUnitAwardsNotes
28½ or 30, i.e. 27 + 3 shared.250, 112 Sqdns RAF; 1 Wing RAAF DSO, DFC & BarIn North Africa, Caldwell is credited with 21–23 victories; and in the South West Pacific, with 6½–7 victories.
16¼ or 17234, 242, 126 RAF 452 RAAFDFC, DFM
15 or 17 64, 234, 247 RAFDFCKIA 7 September 1940
15 or 16452, 76 RAAFDFC & BarKIFA 28 March 1943
15 15½250, 260, 92 RAF 4 SAAF 80 RAAFDFC
14 or 161 RAFDFCKIA 15 May 1940
14 or 14½418 RCAFDSO, DFC & Bar
13 or 16267, 80 RAFDFCKIA 4 March 1941
13 or 1468, 89 RAFDFC & Bar
12 or 14 or 14.5610, 616, 64, 129, 66, 41, RAFDFC & Two BarsScore includes one V-1 flying bomb.
123 RAAFMC, DFC & Bar
1273 255 267 RAFDFC
123, 75, 76 RAAFDFCKIA 27 August 1942
12232, 64, 233, 185 RAF 453 RAAFDFMKIA 10 December 1942
11126, 611, 72 RAF, 452 RAAFDFC & BarKIA 5 February 1943
11 or 1225, 89, 176, 89 RAFDSO, DFCKIFA 26 August 1945
11 or 12 94, 601 RAFDSO, DFC & Bar
1179, 249 RAFDFCKIA 30 October 1940
11 or 13 250 RAF 86 RAAFDFM
10¼ or 12 450, 3 RAAFDSO, DFC & Bar
1064, 249 RAF 452, 79 RAAFDFC, DFMKIFA 13 June 1943
10252, 227, 272 RAFDFC & Bar
10 or 11 87, 72 RAF 3, 453 RAAFDFC
9 or 12 600, 609 RAFDFC
931 RAAFDFC
9 or 1019, 56, 603, 229 RAFDFC
910, 35 RAF, 23 RAAFCGM, DFM & BarBomber Command
8 or 103, 75, 76 RAAFDSO, DFC
823, 3, 75 RAAFDFCKIA 28 April 1942
831 RAAFDFC
832, 261, 73 RAF
8 or 1087, 54 RAF 3, 5, 24, 76 RAAFDFC
8 or 103, 79 RAAFDFC & Bar
8 or 10245, 607, 609 RAFDFCKIA 1 June 1940
811, 260 RAF, 3, 450 RAAFDSO, DFC
8135 RAFDFC
83 RAAFDFMKIA 9 December 1941
7112 RAF, 450 RAAF
7DFC
73, 75, 76, 84, 67 RAAF
7135, 242, 126 RAFDFMKIA 14 May 1942
780 RAF
7 or 1012, 6, 22, 456 RAAFDSO & Bar, DFC
7112 RAFDFM
743, 126, 155 RAFDFMKIA 9 May 1942
6½80, 94 RAFOBE, DFCKIA 31 October 1944
679 RAFDFCKIA 21 May 1943
6 or 7 452 RAAFMC, DFM
6141, 273, 136 RAF
6153, 89, 108 RAF 456 RAAFDFC & BarScore includes one V-1 flying bomb
63 RAAFDFM
6 or 865 RAF, 456 RAAFDFC
6250, 30 RAF
6600 RAFDFC
6KIA 22 November 1941
6212, 72 RAFDFC & Bar
63 RAAFDFMKIA 9 January 1942
5 or 6 126, 41 RAF 452, 453 RAAFDFC
6 or 7 452 RAAFDFCKIA 15 March 1943
524, 25, 75, 82 RAAFDFC & Bar
519 RAFDFCKIA 9 September 1944
5226, 145 RAF 452 RAAFDFCDied 10 June 1943
593 RAFDFC
5112 RAF
5 or 73 RAAFDFM
5453, 24, 5 RAAF
5453 RAAF, 81 RAFDFC
5 or 7 135, 260 RAF 452 RAAFDFC, DFM
53 RAAFKIA 6 January 1943
5 or 6112 RAFDFC & Bar
53 RAAF
5 or 6 87 RAFDFCKIA 14 August 1940
5607 RAFDFC
5 or 624, 31 RAFDFC & Bar
5248 RAFDFM
5603 RAFKIA 8 January 1943
521, 23, 75 RAAFDFC & Bar
5 or 6 3, 75, 76 RAAFDSO, DFC
5 or 6 238 RAF, 450, 451 RAAFDFC, DFM
5112, 111 RAF
5250 RAFKIA 20 December 1941
5 or 8 272, 236, 227 RAF 30 RAAFDFC
572 RAF 453 RAAFDFCKIA 27 February 1945
5 or 7504, 185, 130 RAF 79, 452 RAAFDFC
568, 87, 89 RAF 86 RAAFDFC