Gibson, John
John Albert Axel GIBSON
RAF No.40969 & NZ2500 457 Squadron RAAF
John Albert Axel Gibson was born in Brighton, England on
ihe 24"'August 1916 and was brought lo New Zealand in 1920. Here he received his education completing secondary schooling at Auckland Grammar School, and New Plymouth Boys High School, in Taranaki. He had developed an intense desire to fly and decided to apply for a Short Service Commission in the RAF.
In the years immediately prior WW2, New Zealand sent regular drafts of young men lo serve in the RAF and Gibson was a successful applicant, arriving in the UK aboard RMS Rangitata in May 1938. That same month he commenced flight instruction at the Blackburn Flying School, Brough, and completed his training at South Ccrney.
Towards the end of 1938 he was posted as a commissioned officer to Bircham Newton where he served in an Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit. In May 1940 he joined No.501 Squadron in France, as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, and in the month following was credited with five victories, one of which was shared. He was shot down twice in France, the first two of what would be six occasions throughout the course of the war.
In June the squadron retreated back across the Channel to prepare for the coming onslaught, and was heavily involved in the Battle of Britain, suffering severe casualties. Gibson obtained a further nine victories during the Battle, but was twice shot down, on both occasions having to parachute from a blazing Hurricane, once into the Channel. He became a Flight Commander and was awarded a DF'C. During October he was admitted to hospital and when discharged, two months later, resumed flying as an instructor. He spent the bulk of the next year with No.53 OTU, and in December 194! was ordered to Jurby joining No.457 (RAAF) Squadron as "B" Flight Commander.
He remained with the Australians until March 1942, just as the squadron was about to relocate to No.l 1 Group, when he was sent to New Zealand being placed at the disposal of the RNZAF. During June 1942 he joined No. 15 Squadron, RNZAF, as a Flight Commander, Hying P40s. He was promoted Squadron Leader and in December 1943 took command of the Squadron. In all, he completed three tours in the Solomon Islands, two on Kittyhawks and the other on Corsairs. On his second lour he shot down a Zeke, bringing his tally to 15 victories, one of which was shared.
In October 1944 he returned to Europe, doing a conversion onto Hawker Typhoons and joining No.80 Squadron, which was operating Tempests Vs with the 2nd TAP in Holland, as a supernumerary Squadron Leader in March 1945. During the Rhine crossing he was hit by flak but managed to crash-land in Allied lines. In addition to the dfc for his 1940 activities he received the DSO for his leadership in the South Pacific.
Johnny Gibson is unique in that he is believed to have been the only Allied fighter pilot to fly operationally in the Baitles of France and Britain, the Solomons and Europe. Post-war he continued to serve in the RAF, until 1954, when he retired and took up commercial flying in South Africa. During the Biafran war he tlew in supplies and evacuated refugee children and also operated with the Rhodesian Air Force. He made several trips back to New Zealand during his latter years, the last during 1997. He died in England on I11 July 2000.
