Peter Hall (RNZAF officer)
| Peter Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born |
16 May 1922 Opotiki, New Zealand |
| Died |
22 May 2010 (aged 88) Cumbria, England |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand |
| Service/branch | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 488 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Flight Lieutenant Peter Francis Locker Hall, DFC & Bar (16 May 1922 – 22 May 2010) was a New Zealand flying ace during World War II. He had become infatuated with flight in 1928, when his father bought him a plane ride with Australian aviation pioneer Charles Kingsford Smith.
Hall joined RNZAF No. 488 Squadron in 1943, and along with his RAF navigator R. D. Marriott, is credited with eight confirmed kills being five Junkers 88s, a Messerschmitt Me 410, and two Dornier 217s. After the war, he chose to stay in England with his wife Mary, living in Cumbria, and became an aircraft salesman for de Havilland. Hall regularly returned to New Zealand. He left de Havilland in 1972 and established an award-winning woodcraft and furniture business. He enjoyed such a good reputation that at one point he was commissioned to create bowls for Diana, Princess of Wales.
On 22 May 2010, a few days after turning 88, Peter Hall died. His wife had died in 2009. They were survived by three children.[1][2]
References
- ↑ "WW2 NZ flying ace dies in England". Otago Daily Times. NZPA. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ↑ Dearnaley, Mathew (25 May 2010). "Kiwi flying ace credited with eight kills dies in England". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2 November 2011.