Alan Peart

Alan McGregor Peart, DFC (25 July 1922 – 5 September 2018) was a New Zealand fighter pilot (NZ412729) and flying ace of the Second World War. A Spitfire pilot, he served in Europe, North Africa, Malta and the Far East.

Alan Peart
Alan Peart standing beside his Spitfire Mk.VIII, No 81 Squadron, Ceylon, circa 1944
Born(1922-07-25)25 July 1922
Nelson, New Zealand
Died5 September 2018(2018-09-05) (aged 96)
Hamilton, New Zealand
AllegianceNew Zealand
Service/branchRoyal New Zealand Air Force
Years of service1941–1945
RankFlight lieutenant
UnitNo. 610 Squadron
No. 81 Squadron
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Peart's combat success score was between 7.5 and 9.5 enemy aircraft destroyed, and between 7 and 9 others damaged. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 2 June 1944.[1]

Early life and Pre-war Military Service

Alan McGregor Peart was born in Nelson, New Zealand on 25 July 1922.[2] He was educated at the Hamilton Technical High School.[3]

Like many WW2 RAF pilots Alan dreamt of flying Spitfires from childhood. He recalls gazing skywards watching Seagulls twist and turn and saw his first picture of a Spitfire from his father’s cigarette packet. He made the conscious decision that one day he would fly in the RAF. In 1940 Alan was keen to start his journey but he we was too young to enlist in the RNZAF so he took a job in the local public works department as a draughting cadet.[4] Eager to get involved in the war effort he joined the Hauraki Battalion of the territorial army as a private. So, before he became a RAF pilot he was Private Alan McGregor Peart, regimental number 1/2/507.[5]

Flight Training

RNZAF Initial Training Wing (ITW) Levin, New Zealand, February 1941:

Alan volunteered to the RNZAF in 1940 and quickly passed all 21 written assignments within a couple of weeks, rather than one-a-week, and therefore was not requested to sit the final exam.  He was sent to the Initial Training Wing at Levin and selected to be trained as a pilot rather than an observer or gunner. He then attended the Elementary flying training school at Bell Block New Plymouth in 1941. His first flight experience was on the 16th June 1941 in a De Havilland Tiger Moth and progressing quickly he went solo after 9.5 hours of dual flight training.

At the end of the training block he was assessed as an average pilot but above average in blind instrument flying. He was subsequently selected for further training on multi-engine aircraft, and to his disappointment that meant bombers.

Service Flying Training School (SFTS) RNZAF, Ohakea, New Zealand 1941:

Alan was then posted to the RNZAF service flying training school at Ohakea. Upon his arrival he requested a meeting with the Commanding Officer to voice his extreme displeasure on being assigned to bombers. He successfully made his case to switch to single engine fighters and was reassigned to train on the Hawker Hind.[6]

The decision to reassign him to fighters paid off as he passed the course as an above average pilot and received his wings after the initial three week course and exams. He did not receive a commission as he had hoped for but instead was given the rank of flight sergeant. After completing the course, he was given leave and went home to Raglan to await his overseas posting. This duly came a few weeks later and he was off to Auckland for the ocean crossing to the USA,[7] which occurred between May and June 1941[8] onboard HMS Letitia.

Second World War Service

Peart joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in May 1941.[9]

Under construction

In June 1944, Peart's award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was announced. The citation, published in the London Gazette, read:

Flying Officer Peart is a keen and courageous fighter who has destroyed five enemy aircraft and damaged several more. He has taken part in a very large number of sorties and set a fine example of courage and devotion to duty throughout.

— London Gazette, No. 36542, 2 June 1944.[10]
Aerial combat record[11][12]
Date of Sortie Ratio Enemy aircraft Axis Power Status Aircraft Serial Registration Location Squadron
1 December 1942 SM-84 Italian Regia Aeronautica Destroyed Spitfire Mk.V FL-D Bone harbour 81 Squadron
1 December 1942 SM-84 Italian Regia Aeronautica Damaged Spitfire Mk.V FL-D Bone harbour 81 Squadron
31 December 1942 Bf109 German Luftwaffe Damaged Spitfire Mk.V PH* Bone area 81 Squadron
23 April 1943 Bf109G German Luftwaffe Damaged Spitfire Mk.IX EN207 FL-D Beja 81 Squadron
25 April 1943 Bf109 German Luftwaffe Destroyed Spitfire Mk.IX EN138 FL-E Medjez-el-Bab 81 Squadron
16 July 1943 Bf109G German Luftwaffe Damaged Spitfire Mk.Vc FL-4 Catania 81 Squadron
28 August 1943 Bf109 German Luftwaffe Destroyed Spitfire Mk.IX EN513 FL-J Siciliy 81 Squadron
13 September 1943 1/3 Dornier Do-217 German Luftwaffe Destroyed Spitfire Mk.IX MA402 FL-B Salerno 81 Squadron
13 February 1944 Ki-43 Oscar (x2) Japanese Army Air Force Damaged Spitfire LF Mk.VIII JF277 FL-D Burma front 81 Squadron
16 March 1944 Ki-43 Oscar Japanese Army Air Force Destroyed Spitfire LF Mk.VIII FL-B Nr Paunybyin 81 Squadron
16 March 1944 Ki-43 Oscar Japanese Army Air Force Damaged Spitfire LF Mk.VIII FL-B Nr Paunybyin 81 Squadron
17 March 1944 Ki-43 Oscar Japanese Army Air Force Destroyed Spitfire LF Mk.VIII JF818[13] FL-E Broadway strip 81 Squadron
17 April 1944 Ki-43 Oscar Japanese Army Air Force Destroyed Spitfire LF Mk.VIII JG349[14] FL-D Palel 81 Squadron
17 April 1944 Ki-43 Oscar (x2) Japanese Army Air Force Damaged Spitfire LF Mk.VIII JG349 FL-D Palel 81 Squadron
14 May 1944 Ki-43 Oscar Japanese Army Air Force Damaged Spitfire LF Mk.VIII JG349 FL-D Imphal Valley 81 Squadron

Total: 6 and 1 shared destroyed, 10 damaged.

Serials shown in italics are probable.

* Sortie flown in Wing Commander Petrus Hugo's personal aircraft as Wing Commander Flying.

Later life

In the postwar period he was the president of the Burma Star Veterans association.[15] In his later years, he wrote a book on his wartime experiences, which was titled From North Africa to the Arakan and published in 2008. He was featured in a documentary film, released in 2018, about the Spitfire. He died on 5 September 2018.[2]

Notes
  1. "World War II flying ace Alan Peart dies". Radio New Zealand. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  2. "New Zealand's last WWII fighter ace Alan Peart dies". Stuff.co.nz. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. "Flying Cross Winner". Bay of Plenty Times. 9 June 1944. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  4. Peart 2008, p. 12.
  5. HC, Tauranga City Libraries Staff-. "Alan Peart recalls early War years c. 1940". tauranga.kete.net.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  6. Peart 2008, pp. 13–20.
  7. Peart 2008, pp. 20–25.
  8. "Allied Warships of WWII - Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Letitia - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  9. Thompson 1959, p. 120.
  10. "No. 36542". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1944. p. 2534.
  11. Shores & Williamson 1994, p. 490.
  12. Peart 2008, p. 205.
  13. Laird 2010, p. 45.
  14. Thomas 2010, p. 45.
  15. "Burma veterans to end reunions". New Zealand Herald. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 3 December 2020.

References
  • Laird, Malcolm (2010). Classic Warbirds No. 12. Wellington: Ventura Publications. ISBN 9780986465307.
  • Peart, Alan (2008). North Africa to the Arakan: The Engrossing Memoir of WWII Spitfire Ace Alan McGregor Peart, DFC. London: Grub Street. ISBN 9781906502034.
  • Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-898697-00-0.
  • Thomas, Andrew (2010). Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781846034220.
  • Thompson, H. L (1959). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force: Vol. III. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch.

Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph Record: Alan McGregor Peart


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