Nicky Barr | |
|---|---|
 Barr during World War II | |
| Birth name | Andrew William Barr |
| Born | 10 December 1915 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 12 June 2006 (aged 90) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 1951–1953 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Unit | No. 23 Squadron (1940–1941) No. 3 Squadron (1941–1942) No. 2 Operational Training Unit (1944–1945) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
| Other work | Company director |
Andrew William "Nicky" Barr, OBE, MC, DFC & Bar (10 December 1915 – 12 June 2006) was a member of the Australian national rugby union team, who became a fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. He was credited with 12 aerial victories, all scored flying the Curtiss P-40 fighter. Born in New Zealand, Barr was raised in Victoria and first represented the state in rugby in 1936. Selected to play for Australia in the United Kingdom in 1939, he had just arrived in England when the tour was cancelled following the outbreak of war. He joined the RAAF in 1940 and was posted to North Africa with No. 3 Squadron in September 1941. The squadron's highest-scoring ace, he attained his first three victories in the P-40 Tomahawk and the remainder in the P-40 Kittyhawk.
Barr's achievements as a combat pilot earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. Shortly after taking command of No. 3 Squadron in May 1942, he was shot down and captured by Axis forces, and incarcerated in Italy. He escaped and assisted other Allied fugitives to safety, receiving for his efforts the Military Cross, a rare honour for an RAAF pilot. Repatriated to England, he saw action during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 before returning to Australia as chief instructor with No. 2 Operational Training Unit. After the war he became a company director, and rejoined the RAAF as an active reserve officer from 1951 to 1953. From the early 1960s he was heavily involved in the oilseed industry, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1983. He died in 2006, aged 90.