Brian Carbury
| Brian John George Carbury | |
|---|---|
| Born |
27 February 1918 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 31 July 1961 (aged 43) Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1937–1941 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 41 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Brian John George Carbury DFC & Bar (27 February 1918 – 31 July 1961) was a New Zealand fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was credited with being one of four "aces in a day" in the Battle of Britain as he shot down five aircraft on 31 August 1940. The others were Archie McKellar,Ronald Hamlyn, both British pilots, and Antoni Głowacki of Poland.
The 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) son of a Wellington, New Zealand veterinarian, Brian John George Carbury was raised in Auckland, where he attended King's College from 1932 to 1934. He joined Farmers’ Trading Co. on leaving school, but sick of the job as a shoe salesman, he headed to the United Kingdom in 1937 to join the Royal Navy. Being told he was too old, he joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission as an acting pilot officer.
Carbury joined No. 41 Squadron RAF in June 1938, his rank was confirmed on 27 September 1938, flying the Hawker Fury. In August 1939 he was posted to RAF Turnhouse near Edinburgh, Scotland with No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force as training officer, flying Spitfires. As an Auxiliary Air Force squadron, No. 603 were weekend 'part-time' airmen doing other jobs during the week. But as war approached the squadron was put onto a full-time footing and Carbury was permanently attached from the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. During the Phoney War, No. 603 gained pilots Richard Hillary—later the author of The Last Enemy; and Gerald Stapleton, who shot down Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war to escape and return to the Third Reich.
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