Captain Clive Franklyn Collett

Clive Collett was born in Blenheim on 28 August 1886, receiving his education at Queen’s College, Tauranga. Upon leaving school he pursued a career in engineering.

It appears that Collett was either living or holidaying in Britain when war was declared, for he was commissioned into the RFC as early as March 1915. At that stage he was already a qualified pilot, having passed his flight tests at a civilian flying school in London by the end of January. 
 
Overseas duty was denied Collett until March 1916; then he was posted to 18 Squadron in France, a unit equipped with the Vickers FB5 for fighter-reconnaissance work. However, he lasted only a month before being admitted to hospital in unknown circumstances. Whatever the problem was, it finished his service with 18 Squadron and he returned to Home Establishment. 
 
More than a year would pass before Collett was again able to escape overseas. In the meantime he was promoted to Captain and carried out various duties in the United Kingdom. These culminated in his making an experimental parachute descent from an aircraft in flight in January 1917, a first for the RFC. Finally on 24 July 1917 he joined 70 Squadron in France, recently re-equipped with Sopwith Camels. 
 
Collett’s second period on operations lasted somewhat longer than his first; approximately seven weeks. During that time he managed to score at least eleven victories (one shared), although some accounts have reckoned this to be an underestimation. 
 
An excerpt from Collett’s Combat Report of 9 September gives some indication of his aggression and determination: "I heard a machine firing on my tail and turned round and saw the rest of the formation engaged with a large number of EA. I got on to the tail of one and emptied one gun into fuselage at short range. I followed this machine down and saw it turn over and crash. The machine was not entirely out of control as the pilot made an effort to land it, so I shut off my engine and then flew straight at him, putting a long burst into him as he lay on the ground; the machine burst into flames." Two victories had been claimed earlier in that patrol, making 9 September Collett’s most successful day in action. Unfortunately, it was also the New Zealander’s last flight with 70 Squadron; in the course of the fighting he was wounded in the hand. By way of consolation, awards of the Military Cross and Bar showed that his rapid scoring had not gone unnoticed by those in higher authority. One recommendation had this to say about him: "By his consistent galantry and dash combined with his skill as a leader Captain Collett has set a magnificent example." Back in the United Kingdom once more after treatment for his wound, Collett joined 73 Squadron, also equipped with Camels, and engaged in working up prior to being sent overseas. On 23 December he was in Scotland to test fly (not for the first time) an Albatros Scout captured intact on the Western Front some months before. Nothing seemed amiss to begin with, the then for no apparent reason the Albatros dived into the sea in the Firth of Forth and Collett was killed. The cause of this accident was never determined with certainty. 
 
Clive Collett was a very highly regarded pilot within the RFC and his untimely death was greatly lamented.