Derek Harland Ward

Derek Harland Ward, (31 July 1917 – 17 June 1942) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

He was credited with six confirmed victories and one probable.

Derek Harland Ward was born on 31 July 1917 to Sidney Harland Ward and his wife, Margaret Emilie Ward, in Whangarei, New Zealand, where his father was a medical doctor.

He was educated locally, attending Whangarei Primary School and then going onto Whangarei High School where he became a head prefect.

In 1936, while in his final year of schooling, he applied to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) but was declined.

Early the following year, he began attending a flying school in Hamilton and in April obtained his pilot's licence.

A second application to join the RNZAF, made two months after starting his pilot training, was successful.

He began flight training on a Hawker Tomtit at Wigram Air Base in June, before graduating onto the Avro 626 and Vickers Vildebeest.

By the end of the year, he had gained his pilot's wings.

Born in Whangarei, New Zealand, Ward joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1937.

Gaining his pilot's wings by the end of the year, he then obtained a short service commission in the RAF.

He flew Hawker Hurricanes with No. 151 Squadron during the early part of the Second World War.

He then joined No. 87 Squadron while it was engaged in the Battle of France and the subsequent Battle of Britain.

After spending the early part of 1938 doing advanced training, Ward was selected to go to the United Kingdom to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) on a short service commission.

He left New Zealand with seven other personnel from the RNZAF aboard the Tamaroa in April.

Shortly after arriving in the United Kingdom, he commenced his service with the RAF on 1 June as a pilot officer.

He completed an induction course at Uxbridge and was then posted to No. 151 Squadron, which operated Gloster Gauntlets from the RAF base at North Weald.

At the squadron, he was rated as an exceptional pilot and was part of its aerobatics team.

The squadron soon began converting to the Hawker Hurricane and in April 1939 Ward demonstrated the aircraft to Grigore Gafencu, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was in England on an official visit.

No. 151 Squadron saw little action after the initial outbreak of the Second World War, only called upon to shoot down stray barrage balloons and pursue unidentified aircraft.

In February 1940, Ward, newly promoted to flying officer, was part of a detachment that operated from RAF Martlesham Heath for two months.

Following the start of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940, Ward and five other pilots delivered new Hurricanes to No. 87 Squadron, which was operating in France.

Due to the high casualties in the squadron by the time of their arrival on 17 May, he and the other pilots opted to remain following the delivery of their aircraft.

Immediately sent into action, on 18 May, Ward was flying with a section of four Hurricanes when he destroyed a Henschel Hs 126 reconnaissance aircraft near Valenciennes.

The following day, he damaged a Dornier Do 17 bomber.

On 20 May any aircraft still serviceable with the squadron were ordered back to the United Kingdom.

Ward took a Hurricane with no gunsight and few working instruments.

Attempting to land in northern France to refuel, he saw fires in the town nearby as two Do 17s were making a bombing attack on the aerodrome.

Attacking, he scoring hits on one and chased off the other.

Ward was then attacked by several Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.

Managing to evade them he was able to land at the aerodrome.

After refuelling he took off and over the Channel ran into more Bf 109s.

Ward dived to low level and reached RAF Debden safely.

The irreverent nose art on the Hurricane he was ferrying back to the United Kingdom, a coat of arms featuring various unlucky symbols captioned by the phrase "So what the hell?", became widely associated with Ward but it was not actually his usual aircraft.

Ward remained with No. 87 Squadron through May and June while it began replenishing its losses and re-equipped for operational duties.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in October 1941.

The following month he was appointed commander of No. 73 Squadron, based in Egypt.

He led the squadron in numerous operational missions during the North African campaign, escorting bombers and carrying offensive sweeps on enemy airfields and installations.

He was awarded a bar to his DFC in May 1942.

Ward was shot down and killed by the German ace Hans-Joachim Marseille on 17 June 1942.