Adolphus "Sailor" Malan
Adolphus "Sailor" Malan Born in South Africa, "Sailor" Malan earned his nickname by serving as a cadet aboard a training ship. He soon found a higher calling, joining the RAF in 1935. By 1938 he commanded a flight of Spitfires in 74 Squadron. Intelligent and amiable, Malan contributed to the development of RAF fighter tactics, but brought a genuine hatred of the enemy to the task at hand. He advocated damaging German bombers as much as possible without shooting them down, reasoning that the return of crippled aircraft with dead and dying crews would cause greater damage to German morale. His tally of aerial victories began over Dunkirk in the spring of 1940, and by the end of the year he had shot down 14 German aircraft. One of Malan's most notable successes occurred on July 28, when his squadron intercepted Messerschmitts of JG 51, led by their new Kommodore, Werner Mölders. Malan and Mölders each shot down one adversary, and then the two leaders took each other on. Mölders got the worst of it, managing to nurse his crippled fighter back to the French coast despite leg wounds that put him out of action for a month. In 1941 Malan took command of the Biggin Hill Wing, and added 13 more confirmed kills to his score.
Wing Leader Adolphus Malan (1910-1963) Final Tally: 27, plus ten shared or unconfirmed and 16 damaged Fighter Aircraft Flown: Supermarine Spitfire Rank at End of War: Wing Leader Medals and Awards: DSO+Bar, DFC+Bar Campaign Flown: Battle of Britain