february march australian fighter pilot flying ace world war born victoria attended travelling united_kingdom enlisted june accepted flight training completed instruction december joined naval squadron western january flying went score seventeen aerial victories type machine year youngest australian flying ace world war naval squadron highest scoring ace unit equipped late going achieve victories aircraft raising final tally score aircraft shot crash landed german held territory march spent remainder war prisoner war camps germany released end war captain september returning australia joined staff father flour business served squadron leader royal_australian_air_force second world war returned flour industry war managing director died age seventy early life born victoria february englishman flour miller australian wife née youth attended appointed lieutenant school cadet unit completing secondary studies later year won scholarship world war residing victoria year decided postpone studies travelled united_kingdom enlisted crystal palace london june accepted flight training rank flight sub lieutenant spent following months naval establishments dover earning wings granted substantive rank flight sub lieutenant october posted wing graduating pilot october early allotted wing naval squadron france flying aircraft score heavily february march squadron continually action sector western april squadron maintained high operational tempo launch offensive air battle april credited aerial victories shooting solo effort sharing destruction second fellow australian flight sub lieutenant naval squadron months participated highly effective ground missions simultaneously adding tally aircraft brought ace period years age youngest australian ace world war promoted acting flight lieutenant july taking offensive later month august destroyed german scout plane forcing machine flames scoring seventh victory days later executed raid german flying height feet fired rounds ammunition cited efforts bringing german aircraft assaults ground targets april september awarded notice decoration supplement london gazette november august october credited german aircraft bringing total seventeen far achieved victories making squadron highest scoring ace aircraft commanding officer friend fellow australian ace lieutenant commander single victory machine late october squadron returned united_kingdom order equip november london gazette carried announcement awarded bar consequence conspicuous gallantry air fighting october resulted personal destruction enemy machines returning western went score additional aerial victories march promoted acting flight commander later month acted squadron commanding officer transition command dallas lieutenant commander march led party aircraft patrol airborne group intercepted formation german scout planes ensuring battle personally destroyed aircraft shot men scout planes final victories war raising ultimate tally aircraft shot making seventh highest scoring australian ace conflict aerial achievements composed shared aircraft destroyed shared control captured result gallantry operating hostile forces particularly air battle march awarded second bar distinguished service cross announcement accompanying citation published london gazette april reading honours king pleased approve award following decorations medals officers receive act courage daring face enemy particularly 13th march date patrol machines attacked enemy patrol scouts destroying whilst destroyed officer act destroyed numerous hostile machines march took sortie flight forced crash land german held territory near belgium exact circumstances forced land unknown came result shot duel machine suffering engine failure subsequently captured german forces taken prisoner war spent remainder war prison camps germany dallas later wrote mother informing richard taken prisoner war letter described brilliant pilot air fighter stated aerial victories gained clean clever fighting modest great achievements april combined form royal_air_force personnel services transferring new branch promoted captain day released captivity following armistice germany november returning united_kingdom december returned australia placed royal_air_force unemployed list november post war career later life australia took scholarship studying mathematics science soon withdrew course opting join father flour business ceremony october married couple children father died year collaboration brother james father business partner continued manage run subsequent decades trio successful business ventures significantly expanding company june enlisted royal_australian_air_force service second world war accepted officer wing promoted flying officer granted acting rank squadron leader august appointed commander squadron returning flour business war appointed president following year managing director associated companies addition selected president flour representative relinquished positions retirement died march cremated survived wife son daughters
Richard Minifie