This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from New Zealand. An "ace" is generally considered to be any pilot who has downed five or more enemy aircraft. 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 New Zealand ace of World War II, Colin Gray, is generally credited with 28 victories, that is 27 solo "kills" and two shared. Records were also kept for the shooting down of V-1 flying bombs, with the most successful New Zealander being Arthur Umbers, who is credited with destroying 28 V-1s, in addition to 4 solo aerial victories and one shared.
| Name | Victories | Others | Awards | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 & 1 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 10 & 3 shared | - | DSO, DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, POW 19 August 1942. | ||
| 0 & 3 shared | 7 V-1s | DFC | |||
| 5 & 1 shared | - | DFC* | |||
| 3 & 1 shared | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Also 2 probables. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 30 November 1948. | ||
| 0 | 20 & 1 shared V-1s | DFC | KIA 6 October 1944. | ||
| 15 & 2 shared | - | DFC* | Also 2 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, achieved "ace in a day" status by shooting down five aircraft on 31 August 1940. | ||
| 3 & 2 shared | - | DFC | Also 2 probables. | ||
| 7 & 1 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 16 | - | DSO, DFC | Also 2 probables. Total includes 2 V-1s. | ||
| 9 & 3 shared | - | DFC | Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, POW February 1942. | ||
| 5 & 2 shared | - | DFC | Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 20 August 1944. | ||
| 20 & 1 shared | - | DSO*, DFC* | Also 3 probables and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. | ||
| 0 | 16 V-1s | DFC* | POW 4 May 1945. | ||
| 0 | 11 V-1s | DFC | |||
| 17 & 1 shared | - | DSO, DFC* | Also 4 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 5 & 2 shared | - | Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. KIFA 31 May 1940. | |||
| 7 | - | DFM, DFC (US) | |||
| 2 & 1 shared | 20 V-1s | DFC | POW 2 May 1945. | ||
| 11 | - | DFC | Also 1 probable. Highest scoring flying ace of the Commonwealth against the Japanese in the South Pacific. | ||
| 12 & 1 shared | - | DSO, DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF. | ||
| 7 & 1 shared | - | DFM, DFC* | Also 1 probable. KIA 28 February 1944. | ||
| 27 & 2 shared | - | DSO, DFC** | Also 6 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, highest scoring New Zealand flying ace of WWII. | ||
| 0 | 7 & 1 shared V-1s | KIA 27 December 1944. | |||
| 8 | - | DFC* | Also 1 probable. | ||
| 3 & 3 shared | - | DFC* | Also 1 probable. | ||
| 5 | - | DFC* | Also 1 probable and 1 unclaimed. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 5 | - | DFC | Possibly 6 aerial victories. Died on or about 20 October 1942 of thirst and exposure after the sinking RMS Laconia. | ||
| 6 & 2 shared | - | DFC* | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF. KIA 16 June 1944. | ||
| 18 & 1 shared | - | DFC, DFM* | POW October 1943. | ||
| 5 & 2 shared | - | DFC | Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 13 March 1941. | ||
| 1 | 8 V-1s | DFC | |||
| 5 & 2 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 5 | - | AFC | Also 1 probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 8 & 6 shared | - | DFC | Also 3 probables. Died of sickness 11 July 1944. | ||
| 11 | - | DSO, DFC | New Zealand's highest scoring night fighter ace of WWII. | ||
| 9 | - | DSO, DFC* | Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 10 | - | DFM | Also 2 probables. KIA 17 June 1944. | ||
| 5 | - | DFM | Also 2 probables. | ||
| 16 | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force and was its first flying ace of WWII. KIFA 7 June 1940. | ||
| 0 | 9 V-1s | KIA 25 March 1945. | |||
| 0 | 7 & 1 shared V-1s | DFC | |||
| 5 | - | [1] | |||
| 1 | 10 V-1s | DFC, DFC (US) | |||
| 4 & 2 shared | - | DFC | Served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 7 | 3 V-1s | AFC, DFC* | Also 1 probable. | ||
| 5 & 2 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 5 & 1 shared | - | DFC | Total includes 3 aircraft destroyed on ground or sea. | ||
| 0 | 6 V-1s | ||||
| 0 | 19 & 1 shared V-1s | DFC | |||
| 2 | - | DSO | Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 9 & 1 shared | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 3 & 1 shared | - | DSO, DFC | Total may be 4 & 1 shared. | ||
| 23 | - | DSO, DFC* | Also 2 probables. | ||
| 2 | 5 & 1 shared V-1s | DFC, FC (NL) | KIFA 19 July 1948. | ||
| 0 | 7 V-1s | DFC | |||
| 4 & 1 shared | - | DFC | DOW 29 August 1944. | ||
| 4 | - | DFC | Also 1 probable. | ||
| 5 | - | DFC | Also 1 probable. | ||
| 5 | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 1 May 1942. | ||
| 1 & 1 shared | 8 & 1 shared V-1s | DFC | |||
| 10 & 1 shared | - | DFM | KIA 25 October 1942. | ||
| 6 & 1 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 4 | - | DSO, DFC | Has been credited with 6 aerial victories in the past; KIFA 8 August 1947. | ||
| 1 | 5 V-1s | ||||
| 9 | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 24 July 1944. | ||
| 12 | - | DFC* | POW August 1943. | ||
| 2 & 1 shared | 5 V-1s | DFC* | |||
| 11 & 2 shared | - | DFC* | Also 4 aircraft destroyed on the ground. | ||
| 5 & 3 shared | - | DSO, DFC*, CDeG* | Also 6 probables. | ||
| 5 | 7 and 1 shared V-1s | DFC | |||
| 8 | - | DFC* | Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 10 | - | DFC* | Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, also in South Pacific with RNZAF. | ||
| 2 & 3 shared | 8 V-1s | DFC | |||
| 14 | - | DFC | KIA 24 September 1943. | ||
| 5 | - | DFC | |||
| 2 & 1 shared | - | DFC* | Has been credited with 9 aerial victories in the past. | ||
| 2 & 2 shared | 10 and 1 shared V-1s | DFC | |||
| 6 | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, MIA 4 August 1941. | ||
| 4 & 1 shared | 1 V-1 | DFC* | Also 1 shared probable. MIA 13 April 1945. | ||
| 6 | - | DFC | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 8 December 1941. | ||
| 7 | - | DFC* | Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 19 May 1947. | ||
| 4 & 1 shared | 28 V-1s | DFC* | Also 1 probable and 1 shared probable. KIA 14 February 1945. | ||
| 8 & 1 shared | - | DFC | Also 3 probables. Served in the Royal Air Force. | ||
| 6 & 1 shared | - | DFC* | Also 1 probable. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIA 17 June 1942. | ||
| 12 | - | DFC* | Also 4 probables. Served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain. | ||
| 4 & 2 shared | - | DFM | Also 1 shared probable. | ||
| 8 & 3 shared | - | DFC* | Also 2 probables. | ||
| 5 | - | DFM | |||
| 3 & 3 shared | - | DFM | Flew in Southeast Asia and then Europe. KIA 3 October 1943. | ||
| 4 & 1 shared | - | DFC | |||
| 3 & 5 shared | - | DSO, DFC* | Also 2 probables and 1 shared probable. Served in the Royal Air Force. Flew in Battle of Britain, KIFA 11 September 1953. |
| Award | Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | Awarded for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy". | ||
| CDeG | A military decoration of both France and Belgium, also commonly bestowed to foreign military forces allied to France and Belgium. | ||
| DFC | Awarded to Royal Air Force commissioned officers and warrant officers for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy". | ||
| DFC* | A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DFC who received a second award. | ||
| DFC (US) | The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight". | ||
| DFM | Awarded to military below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy". | ||
| DSO | Awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime. | ||
| DSO* | A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of the DSO who received a second award. |