Cam Malfroy

Camille Enright Malfroy (21 January 1909 - 8 May 1966 ) was a prominent New Zealand tennis player of the 1930s and 40s, competing in numerous grand slam championships of the era. He was also a well known pilot and attested an ace pilot during World War II.

Early life
Camille Enright Malfroy was born in Hokitika on 21 January 1909 the son of Mr. Camille M. Malfroy, of the State Forest Department, Wellington and younger brother of the rugby player Jules Malfroy. The Malfroy family in New Zealand was descended from Jean Baptiste Malfroy originally from Macornay, Lons-le-Saunier, Jura, France, a miller, and his wife, Josephine Pricarde. Jean Baptiste along with two of his sons, Jean Michel Camille Malfroy, usually known as Camille, and Jules Cézar Malfroy, (the eldest of the three brothers), joined the rush to the Victorian goldfields in the 1850s and arrived in New Zealand in the early 1860s.

Cam Malfroy, like his older brother Jules, attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge where he studied Economics. At Cambridge he received his Blue for tennis and was also a noted rugby player.

Tennis career
In the 1930s Cam Malfroy was a well-known tennis player and represented New Zealand in the Davis Cup. He played 12 matches for New Zealand between 1934 and 1939. Of the singles matches, he won two and lost five, and of the doubles matches he won three and lost two. Away from the Davis Cup, he was in the final of the New Zealand tennis championships two years in a row from 1932 to 1933, winning it in 1933. He also competed in a number of Grand Slam tournaments, nine times at Wimbledon, and once each in the France and Australian Opens. The furthest he progressed in any of these was to the fourth round of the 1931 Wimbledon championships. After his 1934, the year of his final triumph in the New Zealand championships, he moved to England and thereafter only competed in Europe, notably at Wimbledon, but also a number of other minor tournaments. As a doubles player he also won the Men's title twice (once in 1929–30 partnering D. G. France and a second time in 1932–33 partnering I. A. Seay) and won the Mixed Doubles in 1932–33 partnering Miss M. Macfarlane.

Performance timeline

 * A = did not participate in the tournament
 * LQ = lost in qualifying draw

Military career
Malfroy learned to fly in 1931-32 whilst a student at Cambridge University with the University Air Squadron. Soon after the outbreak of the second world war in September 1939 he was mobilised and joined 501 Squadron. On 10 May 1940, the start of the German offensive against Western Europe and France, his squadron moved across the English Channel as reinforcements for the RAF units already there. It was recorded that Malfroy claimed a Heinkel He 111 of II./KG 53 destroyed on 11 May near Bethienville. Malfroy's squadron continued to fight until the evacuation from Dinard in Brittany on 18 June 1940. The following day, the Hurricanes flew from St Helier on Jersey to cover the British Army’s evacuation from Cherbourg. F/L Malfroy then became an instructor at an No 57 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Harwarden, rejoining 501 Squadron in February 1941 until December 1941, when he was posted to 417 Squadron at Charmy Down flyingSpitfires. He led No. 417 (RCAF) Squadron until March 1942, when he then commanded 66 Squadron. In June 1942 he was posted as Chief Flying Instructor to No. 61 Operational Training Unit. He then had a short posting on the Training Staff at HQ 10 Group, before returning to operations in June 1943 to become Wing Commander Flying at RAF Exeter. In early 1944, he took command of 145 Airfield. He then moved to the staff at HQ Allied Expeditionary Air Force and in late 1944 commanded RAF Portreath and RAF Warmwell in 1945.

Malfroy was credited with five enemy aircraft destroyed during the war. He was awarded both the DFC (UK) and the DFC (US).