Portal:Military history of Australia/Selected biography/11

Clive Robertson Caldwell DSO, DFC & Bar (28 July 1910 – 5 August 1994) was the leading Australian fighter ace of World War II. Caldwell was born in Lewisham, Sydney and joined the Royal Australian Air Force at the outbreak of war. Caldwell is officially credited with at least 26 aircraft claimed shot down, 4 shared destroyed, 11 probables and 25 damaged in over 300 operational sorties. His nickname was Killer because of his habit of shooting up any enemy vehicles spotted when returning from a sortie. In 1945, he led the "Morotai Mutiny", in which several senior flyers resigned in protest following the relegation of RAAF fighter squadrons to dangerous and strategically worthless ground attack missions. Caldwell retired in 1946.