Raymond Brown Hesselyn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | 'Hess' |
| Born | 13 March 1921 Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Died | 14 November 1963 (aged 42) RAF Hospital Uxbridge, England |
| Buried | Hillingdon and Uxbridge Cemetery, Hillingdon, England |
| Allegiance | New Zealand United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal New Zealand Air Force (1940–46) Royal Air Force (1947–63) |
| Years of service | 1940–1963 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Commands | No. 41 Squadron (1951–1952) |
| Battles / wars |
|
| Awards | Member of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Medal & Bar |
| Other work | Co-author of Spitfires Over Malta |
Raymond Brown Hesselyn, MBE, DFC, DFM & Bar (13 March 1921 – 14 November 1963) was a New Zealand fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War, credited with the destruction of at least 18 enemy aircraft while flying with the Royal Air Force (RAF) over Europe and the Mediterranean.
Born in Dunedin, Hesselyn joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1940 and completed his flight training the following year. He was sent to Europe to serve with the RAF. Initially flying operations on the Channel Front, he was later sent to Malta as a reinforcement for the island's aerial defences. Flying with No. 249 Squadron, Hesselyn's first 12 victories were claimed during the defence of Malta in the period from March to July 1942. Repatriated to England for a rest, he later collaborated with the Australian flying ace Virgil Brennan in the writing of Spitfires over Malta, a book about their experiences on the island. Returning to flight operations after a period of instructing duties, he flew a number of operations on the Channel Front with No. 222 Squadron before he was shot down and made a prisoner of war in October 1943. Liberated in 1945, he formally transferred to the RAF two years later and attained the rank of squadron leader before his death in 1963 of stomach cancer, aged 42.