59 Facts About Edgar Kain

Edgar Kain completed his flight training the following year and was posted to the RAF's No 73 Squadron, flying the Gloster Gladiator and then the Hawker Hurricane.

Edgar Kain began flying operational sorties during the Phoney War and gained his first aerial victory, a German bomber, in November 1939.

Edgar Kain claimed his fifth aerial victory in March 1940, becoming the RAF's first flying ace of the Second World War as well as its first recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Edgar James Kain was born in Hastings, New Zealand, on 27 June 1918, the third of four children of George Kain, a warehouseman, and his wife Nellie.

Edgar Kain's family moved to Wellington, where his father set up a warehousing business.

Edgar Kain was educated at Croydon School and, from 1932, at Christ's College, Christchurch, where he boarded.

Edgar Kain was seen as a natural leader, but unmotivated academically.

In Christchurch, Edgar Kain's school was near Wigram Aerodrome and he would often see aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force approaching and taking off.

Edgar Kain was passionate about aviation from an early age and eager to fly.

Edgar Kain worked as a clerk in his father's warehousing business and became a member of the Wellington Aero Club.

Edgar Kain's intention was to obtain a pilot's licence and then join the Royal Air Force.

Edgar Kain's flying lessons commenced in early 1936 and he soon soloed in a Tiger Moth, having accumulated just over seven hours of flying time.

Edgar Kain received tuition in mathematics from Professor George William von Zedlitz of the Victoria University of Wellington; this was necessary after his failure to graduate from secondary school as such academic qualifications were prerequisites enter the RAF as a pilot.

Edgar Kain was then able to meet the requirements for a short-service commission in the RAF; under this scheme, entrants would serve a four-year period and then, if suitable, transfer to a permanent commission.

Accordingly, having convinced his parents to support his endeavours, Edgar Kain departed New Zealand in November 1936, accompanying his father on a business trip to England aboard the RMS Orford.

Once in London, Edgar Kain formally applied to the Air Ministry for a short-service commission in the RAF but failed his medical due to high blood pressure.

Edgar Kain was told to reapply once he had acclimatised; the lengthy voyage from New Zealand had taken its toll on his fitness.

Edgar Kain spent two weeks labouring on a farm to improve his condition and passed the subsequent medical.

Edgar Kain commenced his training at the school on 21 December 1936, and was flying a Blackburn B-2 trainer solo.

Edgar Kain opted for fighters, seeing it as a more exciting prospect.

On completion of the elementary course on 5 March 1937, Edgar Kain was accepted for a short-service commission with the rank of acting pilot officer and the service number 39534.

Edgar Kain proceeded to RAF Uxbridge for basic military training and then went onto No 5 Flying Training School at RAF Sealand in Cheshire.

Edgar Kain gained his wings on 25 June 1937 and was sent to RAF Ternhill a few months later for advanced training on fighters, flying the Hawker Fury.

In November 1937, his training complete, Edgar Kain was posted to No 73 Squadron, which was equipped with the Gloster Gladiator biplane fighter and based at RAF Digby.

Edgar Kain continued to develop his aerobatic skills with the Gladiator and in May 1938 took part in the Empire Air Day, giving flying demonstrations to the public.

Two months later, the squadron began converting to the new monoplane Hawker Hurricane and Edgar Kain began to find its limits, causing light damage to his aircraft after putting it into a high-speed dive, an action for which he was reprimanded.

In June 1939, Edgar Kain crashed during a night flying exercise, when he forgot to lock the undercarriage while landing.

Edgar Kain had been promoted to flying officer earlier in the month.

On 10 September 1939, Edgar Kain flew his first operational patrols, covering ships disembarking the BEF at Cherbourg, without making contact with the enemy.

Edgar Kain followed but pulled out when he saw fabric peeling off his wings.

The event was widely reported although, due to the RAF prohibition of the naming of its personnel in the media, Edgar Kain was not identified as the successful pilot in British newspapers.

Edgar Kain spent some of this period in England on leave with Joyce Phillips, a theatre actress he had met while completing his flight training in 1937.

Edgar Kain had been corresponding with her for some time.

Edgar Kain's aircraft received damage from the He 111's defensive armament, and on landing was found to be irreparable.

Edgar Kain was mentioned in dispatches on 20 February 1940 for his efforts pursuing the He 111 that he sighted late the previous month.

Weather conditions improved on 1 March 1940, and the following day Edgar Kain became involved in a dogfight with two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters while in pursuit of some He 111s.

Edgar Kain destroyed the first Bf 109 but the second damaged his engine with cannon fire before departing.

When his damaged engine caught fire, Edgar Kain prepared to bail out but had to re-enter the cockpit when he realised his parachute strap was not in position.

The flames went out and Edgar Kain glided on to a forced-landing at Metz.

Edgar Kain's Hurricane was a wreck and he had to be flown back to Rouvres by a Bristol Blenheim in the evening.

The encounter was reported by the BBC in its main radio bulletin later that day; Edgar Kain was not named and only referred to as a New Zealander.

Edgar Kain was back on operations and, at the same time, the squadron was re-equipping with updated Hurricanes.

Edgar Kain promptly took ill with German measles and was hospitalised for several days.

Edgar Kain managed to destroy one Bf 109 and then a second, but shortly afterwards his Hurricane's engine was damaged by a cannon strike from another Bf 109.

Edgar Kain soon encountered French soldiers and after satisfying them as to his nationality, he was treated by a doctor and driven back to Rouvres in the evening.

Edgar Kain remained relatively anonymous to the British public, his identity continuing to be simply Cobber when his exploits were reported.

In March, 1940, while on patrol with another aircraft, Flying Officer Edgar Kain sighted seven enemy bombers about 5,000 feet above him, and while giving chase well into Germany, he was attacked from behind by an enemy fighter.

Two days later he and his flight encountered a Messerschmitt Bf 110, which Edgar Kain damaged, but was surprised by three Bf 109s which shot down two Hurricanes in return.

Edgar Kain saw little flying duty for the rest of the month, due to poor weather.

At around 6:00am, Edgar Kain engaged and shot down a Dornier Do 215, one of nine that he sighted near Metz.

Edgar Kain encountered another seven on his return to Rouvres but had exhausted his ammunition in the earlier action.

Edgar Kain flew a defensive patrol the next morning, then a mission escorting bombers of the AASF to a target at Wiltz.

The next day, the squadron moved to Villeneuve while Edgar Kain led his flight in a covering patrol to help protect the shift to the new base.

The British fighters attacked and Edgar Kain shot down a Ju 88 and then a Bf 110.

Several fresh pilots soon arrived and Edgar Kain helped with their introduction to operational flying.

Later in the day, while on a patrol over Boos-Rouen, Edgar Kain shot down a Do 17.

Edgar Kain sighted a Bf 109 and pursued it to near Reims, where he shot it down.

Edgar Kain was thrown from the Hurricane's cockpit and died when he struck the ground some distance away from his crashed aircraft.

Edgar Kain's parents were advised by telegram within two days of his death; his mother and younger sister, Judy Kain, were in transit to England at the time to attend his wedding to Phillips; Judy was to be a bridesmaid.