'Killy' Kilmartin and Bill Stratton
'Killy' Kilmartin and Bill Stratton
The photograph depicts flying officers 'Killy' Kilmartin (left) and Bill Stratton.
Kilmartin was one of the most successful of the unit's pilots during the blitzkrieg period, when he claimed at least 13 German aircraft shot down.
Like many of the squadron's other pilots of this period, both men ended the war as a Wing Commander. Stratton subsequently became Chief of Air Staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, with the rank of Air Vice-Marshal - the highest rank to be achieved by any of 1 Squadron's 1940 pilots.
