Squadron Leader John Albert Axel Gibson

John Gibson was born in Brighton, England, on 24 August 1916 and came to New Zealand in 1920. He was educated in Auckland and at New Plymouth Boys’ High School.

He returned to Britain in May 1938 to take up a short service commission in the RAF and, after completing his flying training, was posted on Army Co-operation duties. 
 
In early May 1940 he joined 501 Squadron and a few days later the Squadron flew its Hurricanes to France to reinforce the hard-pressed fighter units there. In action every day, the unit moved from airfield to airfield before the advancing Germans. 
 
On 27 May Gibson destroyed an He III and shared in the destruction of another before he was himself shot down, crash-landing in a field. The much-depleted Squadron’s final base was at St Helier in Jersey on 19 June 1940, from where it covered the evacuation of the British Army from Cherbourg. It re-assembled at Croydon on the 21st to reform, re-equip and train new pilots to face the inevitable Luftwaffe attack. 
 
Gibson destroyed seven enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain and probably destroyed another. In an action on August 15 1940 Gibson’s aircraft was set alight by return fire from a Stuka, one of a force attacking Hawkinge airfield. Being then directly over Folkestone, Gibson steered his blazing aircraft away from the town and took it down to 1000 feet before baling out. He was again shot down in flames on the 29th, this time over Dover, and baled out into the sea two miles off the coast. 
 
He was picked up by a motor boat. About this time Gibson was awarded the DFC. 
 
In May 1941 he was posted as an instructor, returning to operations at the end of the year as a flight commander with 457 Squadron. In late May 1942 the squadron prepared for a move to Australia and Gibson was posted to New Zealand on attachment to the RNZAF. He went with the newly-formed 15 Squadron to Tonga and flew Kittyhawks on defensive duties as a flight commander. 
 
Gibson returned to New Zealand in December 1942 for staff duties and attended a course at Staff College in April 1943 before resuming staff duties. In mid-December he returned to 15 Squadron, then based at New Georgia, as commanding officer. In January 1944 the Squadron took part in the Bougainville landings and shortly afterwards moved to an airfield on the island. On 23 January, while leading the squadron in the Rabaul area, Gibson destroyed a Zeke fighter. Three weeks later he led the Squadron back to New Zealand for a rest. 
 
Gibson took the unit to Guadalcanal in May 1944 before moving again to Bougainville in June. At the end of July, with another tour completed, the squadron again returned to New Zealand. 
 
Posted in mid-August, Gibson left for the United Kingdom at the end of October where he joined 80 Squadron, flying Tempests from Volkel in Holland in support of the Army. 
 
In March 1945, whilst covering gliders during the Rhine crossing, his aircraft was hit by flak and he made a forced-landing on the British side of the lines. Although the Tempest broke its back, Gibson escaped with minor injuries. 
 
When he was awarded the DSO in March 1945, Gibson had flown 382 sorties, involving 669 operational hours. He retired from the RAF in 1954 and went to live in South Africa. 
 
He passed away on the 1st July 2000 at Nottingham, England.