AUSTRALIAN ACS
SEEKS TOP SCORE; IN R.A.F.
SYDNEY,, September 1. The ambition of Wing Commander Clive Caldwell is to remain in combat long enough to take top place on the list of Allied fighter aces in this war. This place is held by the South African Group Captain A. G. Malan, who is credited with 35 Axis planes. Caldwell, who has destroyed 27J enemy planes, ranks equal fourth on the list, with the New Zealander Wing Commander Colin Gray. Ahead of them are the late Wing Commander Paddy Finucane, with 32 planes, and Flight Lieutenant P. Beurling, of Canada, with 29 planes., Caldwell's record is 27J planes destroyed in the air for certain, seven probably destroyed, and 12 damaged. Of these, seven certainties and one machine damaged-were scored in the Darwin area, while the remainder were shot down overseas. In addition, he is credited with 17 machines destroyed on the ground in a strafing attack in the Middle East..
Caldwell', who is on leave in Sydney, said he had reason to be proud of the Spitfire unit he commanded in the Darwin area. "Since we have been there we have shot down 66 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed 18, and damaged 32," he said. "Our average is slightly better than that achieved by the R.A.F. in the Battle of Britain."
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 55, 2 September 1943, Page 5
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219AUSTRALIAN ACS Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 55, 2 September 1943, Page 5
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