Despite the best efforts of command – for the most part – American fighter aces began to return to the public eye, amassing scores of confirmed victories not seen since the First World War. A race for kills, not dissimilar from their Luftwaffe adversaries, began to establish itself between the top American fighter aces. One of the most flamboyant of these pilots was ‘Don’ Gentile.

Whilst there have been a number of qualities and attributes common among successful fighter pilots – such as good eyesight and situational awareness – there has not been any one personality type which has dominated the ace fraternity. From the glory hunting loners to the selfless team players.

In 1939, at the verge of World War II, Stan Orr joined the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a fighter pilot. During his military career and heavily involved in the combat of World War II, he became Britain's highest scoring Navy fighter pilot, flying aircraft like the Fairey Fulmar and US-developed F6F Hellcat.

Vasily Fedorovich Golubev was born in 1912 in Kamenka, near Leningrad in the northwest of modern day Russia. As a fighter ace with 39 confirmed individual aircraft shot down, he was very respected for his ability as a military leader. 

The elite group of men and women who are referred to as ‘aces’ is selective at best; nations originally disagreed on not only the exact number of kills required but also the best term used to describe the elite pilots who met the standard.

The young Heinz-Wolfgang excelled both physically and mentally; a gifted academic, he also stood out from his peers in terms of his sporting achievements. His future career was perhaps already set in stone from a relatively early age.

Born in Westport on the South Island of New Zealand in December 1917, Alan Christopher Deere was the the third of six sons of postal worker Terrence Deere. The family soon moved to Wanganui on New Zealand’s North Island, and it was here that the young Deere first had the opportunity to sit in an aircraft and made the decision to be a pilot when he was older.

Clawing its way home with engines spluttering, one stabilizer shot off completely, its nose open to the elements and dead and wounded on board, the lone bomber was intercepted by Stigler – this kill would give him the points he needed for a Knights Cross...

Smitten by military aviation, Chennault opted to remain with the US Army after the cessation of hostilities and the huge demobilization of the military. Specializing in the field of pursuit aviation – or fighters in modern terminology – Chennault became the Chief of the Pursuit Section at the Air Corps Tactical School.

Stanislaw Skalski was born on November 27^th 1915, in Kodyma in modern day Ukraine. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Skalski’s father sent him, along with his mother, to Zbaraz – then in Poland. His father joined them in 1921 after making his way through Romania.

Willy Jähde was born in Helmsdof on January 18th 1908. At the age of 18 he joined the Reichswehr; his first unit was the 6th Prussian Automotive Division, based out of Hanover. When the Germans rearmed in 1934 he was promoted to Leutnant. Over the next few years he carried on rising through the ranks, eventually becoming a company commander in the 7th Panzer Division by the start of the Second World War.

Josef Priller was a German fighter ace of World War II and later commander of the JG 26 fighter squadron. In 1307 combat missions he claimed a total of 101 aerial victories.

Wilfred 'Woof' Stanley Arthur was officially enlisted in the RAAF on 4 September 1939, after an initial course selection and was sent to 22 Squadron RAAF. He was awarded his flying badge on 2 March, 1940.

Finucane’s flying career had a less than auspicious start. After completing No.6 Elementary Flying Training School at Sywell, he moved onto Hawker Harts at Monstrose with No.8 Service Flying Training School.

Hans-Joachim Marseille was a German Luftwaffe pilot and one of the most highly decorated and successful fighter aces of World War II. With a total of 158 accredited aerial victories at only 22 years of age, Marseille became a legend in Germany.

György Debrődy was one of the most successful Hungarian fighter aces of the Second World War. Flying Bf109s supplied by Germany, Debrődy fought against the forces of the Soviet Union and the USAAF. He was awarded many of his nation's most prestigious decorations and was one of the top scoring aces of all Germany's allies in the European Theatre of Operations.

In May 1940 Tuck was transferred to No.92 Squadron at RAF Croydon, under the command of Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who would later become famous as one of the masterminds behind ‘The Great Escape.’ On May 23rd, whilst flying a patrol over Dunkirk, the squadron were jumped by a staffel of Bf109s. In the ensuing dogfight Tuck shot down his first enemy aircraft. That afternoon No.92 Sqn again took to the skies, this time with Tuck shooting down two Bf110s.