Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand
About Nicky Barr
- Andrew William "Nicky" Barr, (10 December 1915 – 12 June 2006) was a member of the Australian national rugby union team, who became a fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II.
- He was credited with 12 aerial victories, all scored flying the Curtiss P-40 fighter.
- Born in New Zealand, Barr was raised in Victoria and first represented the state in rugby in 1936.
- Selected to play for Australia in the United Kingdom in 1939, he had just arrived in England when the tour was cancelled following the outbreak of war.
- He joined the RAAF in 1940 and was posted to North Africa with No.
- 3 Squadron in September 1941.
- The squadron's highest-scoring ace, he attained his first three victories in the P-40 Tomahawk and the remainder in the P-40 Kittyhawk. Barr's achievements as a combat pilot earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.
- Shortly after taking command of No.
- 3 Squadron in May 1942, he was shot down and captured by Axis forces, and incarcerated in Italy.
- He escaped and assisted other Allied fugitives to safety, receiving for his efforts the Military Cross, a rare honour for an RAAF pilot.
- Repatriated to England, he saw action during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 before returning to Australia as chief instructor with No.
- 2 Operational Training Unit.
- After the war he became a company director, and rejoined the RAAF as an active reserve officer from 1951 to 1953.
- From the early 1960s he was heavily involved in the oilseed industry, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1983.
- He died in 2006, aged 90.
Read more at Wikipedia
See Also
- Famous People's Birthdays on 10 December, New Zealand
- Famous People's Birthdays in December, New Zealand
- Famous People's Birthdays on 10 December, Australia
- Famous People's Birthdays in December, Australia
- Famous aircraft pilot's Birthdays on 10 December, New Zealand
- Famous aircraft pilot's Birthdays in December, New Zealand
- Famous rugby union player's Birthdays on 10 December, New Zealand
- Famous rugby union player's Birthdays in December, New Zealand
- Famous aircraft pilot's Birthdays on 10 December, Australia
- Famous aircraft pilot's Birthdays in December, Australia
- Famous rugby union player's Birthdays on 10 December, Australia
- Famous rugby union player's Birthdays in December, Australia
Image Author, Source and License
Author: Not stated
Source:
License: PD-1996
PD-Australia
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This image is available from the Collection Database of the Australian War Memorial under the ID Number: UK1197This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.
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License: PD-1996
PD-Australia
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