Archie McKellar
| Archibald Ashmore McKellar | |
|---|---|
Archie McKellar in October 1940
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| Nickname(s) | "Archie" |
| Born |
10 April 1912 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Died | 1 November 1940 (aged 28) Adisham, Kent, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1940 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches |
Squadron Leader Archibald Ashmore McKellarDSO, DFC & Bar (10 April 1912 – 1 November 1940) was a flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.
McKellar grew up and joined the family business in his native Scotland, but in 1936, aged 24, he joined the RAF and began pilot training. He completed his training in 1938 and was assigned to No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron RAF, an Auxiliary Unit. In 1939 he converted to the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He experienced his first combat with No. 602 Squadron, credited with two victories soon after the outbreak of war in 1939 against German bombers attacking Royal Navy ships and installations over northern Britain during the "Phoney War" period. McKellar's first victory earned him the distinction of being the first pilot to shoot down a German aircraft over the British Isles during the war.
A year later, he gained fame in 1940 during the Battle of Britain as a part of, and later squadron leader of, No. 605 Squadron RAF, equipped with the Hawker Hurricane fighter. The Auxiliary Unit was moved to southern England and participated in the large air battles. McKellar's combat career proved to be very brief, lasting just over a year. He claimed all but two of his victories within the last two and a half months of his life; 15 August–1 November 1940. On 7 October 1940 he shot down five Messerschmitt Bf 109s, thus becoming an ace in a day; one of only 24 Allied aces to achieve the feat. At the time of his last mission he had claimed 21 aerial victories and another two shared destroyed against enemy aircraft. Included in this total of 21 air victories are 11 Bf 109s. McKellar, along with Ronald Hamlyn andBrian Carbury, were the only British pilots to achieve the feat of "Ace in a Day" during the Battle of Britain.
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