Group Captain Desmond James Scott

Des Scott, born in Ashburton on 11 September 1918, was educated at Cathedral Grammar School, Christchurch before becoming a salesman. He also joined the Territorial Army as a trooper in the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry.

In 1939 Scott, already in possession of his private pilot’s licence, joined the Civil Reserve of Pilots and completed the requisite forty flying hours just before the outbreak of war. He joined the RNZAF in March 1940, completed his flying training, and sailed for the United Kingdom in late August. 
 
Scott converted to Hurricanes and joined 3 Squadron in January 1941 in the Orkneys. 
 
Later in the year the squadron moved south and began night-defence duties, including a period co-operating with twin-engined Havocs equipped with searchlights. However successful interceptions of German raiders were few and the scheme was abandoned. 
 
The unit had a detachment at Manston and Scott, who was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in August 1941, flew from there on night intruder patrols over the Continent. Promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant at the end of the year, Scott took command of the detachment and remained with it until the autumn of 1942, when he was posted to a staff job at HQ Fighter Command at Bentley Priory. He had by then completed two tours, destroyed five enemy aircraft, probably destroyed four more, and had been awarded the DFC and Bar. 
 
Scott returned to operations on 1 April 1943, taking command of Typhoon-equipped 486 (NZ) Squadron. He immediately put plans in hand to lead the unit on offensive operations. On 9 April Scott shared in the probable destruction of an FW 190 off Etretat, on the 14th shared in destroying a Bf 109, shot down FW 190s on 25 May and 24 June and shared in destroying another off Le Havre on 15 July. The first person to attack a V-1 site, he was awarded the DSO in August 1943 and, in mid-September, was appointed Wing Leader of the Tangmere Typhoon squadrons. 
 
In late 1943 Scott became Station Commander at RAF Hawkinge. One day in early 1944, at very great risk to himself, Scott extricated a badly injured pilot from a blazing Spitfire which had crash-landed at Hawkinge. Sadly the pilot died before an ambulance arrived but for his brave act Scott was awarded an OBE in June 1944. 
 
He was promoted to Group Captain in March 1944 and took command of 123 Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, the youngest man ever to hold such a command. The Wing was a mobile group of four rocket-firing Typhoon squadrons and crossed to a base in Normandy shortly after D-Day. 
 
Scott led the Wing throughout the advance from the invasion beaches to final victory in Germany. At the end of the war he was posted to Transport Command. As well as his British decorations Scott was a Commander of the Order of Orange Nassau and held the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre. 
 
Des Scott died on 8th October 1997. 
 
The New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum is honoured to have Des Scott's medals, service revolver and personal momentos now on display. 
 

Further References

Perspectives of Combat an excerpt from "Typhoon Pilot" by Desmond Scott