Edward Preston Wells | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Royal_Air_Force_Fighter_Command,_1939-1945._CH5061.jpg) Wells, sitting in the cockpit of a Spitfire Mk. Vb named for one of the provinces of New Zealand | |
| Nickname(s) | Hawkeye |
| Born | 26 July 1916 Cambridge, New Zealand |
| Died | 4 November 2005 (aged 89) England |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/ | Royal New Zealand Air Force (1939–1947) Royal Air Force (1947–1960) |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Commands held | RAF Bawdsey Day Fighter Leaders' School West Malling Wing Detling Wing Tangmere Wing Kenley Wing No. 485 (NZ) Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Group Captain Edward Preston Wells DSO, DFC & Bar (26 July 1916 – 4 November 2005) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with the destruction of twelve enemy aircraft.
Born in Cambridge, New Zealand, Wells joined the RNZAF in 1939. After completing flight training he was sent to the United Kingdom to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF). He flew Supermarine Spitfires with No. 41 Squadron during the later stages of the Battle of Britain and later flew with No. 485 (NZ) Squadron, becoming its commander in November 1941. For much of 1943 to 1944, he commanded fighter wings over England and France. By the end of the war he was commander of the Day Fighter Leaders' School. He transferred to the RAF in 1947, holding a series of senior posts until his retirement in 1960 at which time he took up farming. In his later years, he moved to Spain and took up fruit growing and research. He died in 2005 at the age of 89.