Frank Reginald Carey

Group Captain Frank Reginald "Chota" Carey (7 May 1912–6 December 2004) was an English World War II fighter ace with 25 victories, three shared destroyed, four unconfirmed destroyed, four probables and eight damaged. He was the second-highest scoring Hawker Hurricane fighter ace of the war.

Early life
Carey was born in Brixton, London and educated at Belverdere School, [Haywards Heath] now called Tavistock and Summerhill School. He joined the Royal Air Force in September 1927 as an aircraft apprentice at RAF Halton and later an airframe fitter. In 1935 he was selected for pilot training and passed out as a Sergeant Pilot, joining 43 Squadron flying the Hawker Fury; he converted to the Hawker Hurricane in 1938.

World War II
On 30 January 1940, soon after the Second World War started, Carey shared (with Flight Lieutenant Caesar Hull), the destruction of a Heinkel He 111 of KG 26 near Coquet Island on his first aerial combat. 43 Squadron were moved to Acklington in February 1940, and on 3 February Carey and his wingman claimed another KG 26 He-111, the aircraft ditching in the sea. Another He-111 was shared destroyed the following month and by 1 March Carey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. On 1 April 1940 he was commissioned a pilot officer (on probation) from the rank of sergeant.

France and the Low countries
In April 1940 he joined 3 Squadron, based at Merville in France. On 10 May 1940 he claimed four Heinkel He-111s (one unconfirmed) of KG 54 and KG 27 to become only the third RAF ace of the war. Another KG 54 He-111 was claimed the next day. Two Ju 87 Stukas, a Dornier 17 and two He-111s were claimed destroyed or damaged on 13 May, the following day he shot down a Dornier Do 17 of 3.(F)/11 near Louvain. In this action he was hit by gunfire and crashed near Brussels. Despite a leg wound he managed to regain the Allied Lines, and after treatment he was eventually taken to No. 26 Aircraft Depot, where other shot-down aircrew were brought to rejoin their units. After days of inactivity and confusion, Carey and the other personnel found a servicable Bristol Bombay transport at a nearby airfield and flew it back to Hendon in the UK on 7 June, Carey acting as rear-gunner for the trip. On arrival he found he had been officially posted as missing in action.

Carey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. In June he re-joined 43 Squadron at RAF Tangmere as a Flight Commander.

Battle of Britain
As the Battle of Britain unfolded, Carey increased his number of victories. On 19 July he claimed one Messerschmitt Bf 109 destroyed and three damaged; there was also a Junkers 88 'probable' on 12 August. He then shared in the destruction of a Ju 88 of LG 1 on 15 August. Two Ju 87s (and two 'probables') were claimed over Selsey Bill on 16 August. At the height of the battle on 18 August 1940, a date known as The Hardest Day, Carey was leading the Squadron against a raid of Ju 87s and Bf 109s over Thorney Island. He shot down a Ju 87 of StG 77 but was hit in the knee by a stray bullet. Due to enemy action he could not land at Tangmere airfield and had to crash-land his Hurricane at Pulborough. After medical treatment in Chichester and recuperation Carey was posted to a No. 52 OTU at Debden as an Instructor, returning briefly to operations with 245 Squadron in Northern Ireland; he subsequently returned to a training post. On 1 April 1941, he was confirmed in the rank of pilot officer and promoted to war substantive flying officer. In August, he was posted to RAF Baginton (now Coventry airport ) to form 135 Squadron as Squadron Commander, and was promoted to war substantive flight lieutenant on 23 November.

Far East
Originally intended for service in the Middle East, Carey and No. 135 Squadron were diverted to reinforce the severely pressed Allied Air Forces in Burma in December 1941. The first four fighters arrived in Rangoon on 23 January 1942. On the 29th, he claimed his first Japanese victory when he shot down a Nakajima Ki-27 'Nate' flown by Sergeant Major Nagashima of the 77th Sentai over the RAF airfield at Mingaladon Township, Rangoon (now the site of Yangon International Airport). This victory incorrecly appears as on 4 February in his official tally. In early February he was promoted to acting Wing Commander, commanding the two fighter squadrons that formed 267 Wing at Mingaladon.

Facilities such as tools, spares and other equipment were almost non-existent. Engines to be lifted out were done so by wheeling an aircraft underneath a palm tree, which was then pulled down and tied to the power plant. On its slow release, the engine was lifted clear. Other aircraft might be cannablised to keep others airworthy.

Carey shot a reconnaissance aircraft down of 70th Chutai on 23 February, and a 'transport' and another Ki-27 the following day. On 26 February he led seven Hurricanes in a ground strafe of Moulmein airfield. They spotted several Ki-27 "Nate" fighters returning to the airfield, in the ensuing combat Carey claimed three (of a total of five) claimed shot down, with possibly others destroyed or damaged on the ground. Carey was chased out over the Gulf of Martaban, suffering heavy damage to his Hurricane. He was awarded a bar to his DFC on 24 March for leading this and further strafing missions on the airfield and installations around Moulmein during March 1942. On 6 May, he was promoted to war substantive squadron leader.

Carey had now gained the Indian nickname 'Chota' ('small') because of his size. His last claim was on 25 October 1942 when a Nakajima Ki-43 'Oscar' was a probable victory. He was attacked on take-off from Chittagong by a number of Oscars and after a battle at very low level an Oscar reportedly flew into a hill. His tally against the Japanese is officially at least seven, but with the Allies in full retreat at the time and many records lost, there are numerous others who fought alongside Carey that consider he destroyed many more, possibly taking his tally to over 30.

Carey was taken off operations in late 1942 and then commanded RAF Alipore. He was sent to Air HQ, Bengal, and then in February 1943 formed the 'Air Fighting Training Unit' based at RAF Amarda Road. In November 1944 he was posted to command 73 OTU in Egypt as a Group Captain, receiving the AFC. He ended the war as a war substantive wing commander, which he had been promoted to on 6 May 1945.

Australia
He returned to England in 1945 and was given a permanent commission in the rank of squadron leader on 1 September 1945 and studied tactics at the Central Fighter Establishment. He was promoted to the rank of wing commander on 1 July 1947 (seniority 1 October 1946). After attending the Army Staff College he reverted to the rank of wing commander to lead No 135 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany, flying Hawker Tempests. Converting to jets, he moved to Gutersloh, also in Germany, as wing commander, flying. He was promoted to group captain on 1 July 1956.

He was Air Adviser, British High Commission in Australia from 1958 to 1962; Carey was appointed as a Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1960 and then worked for Rolls Royce Aero Division in Australia. On his retirement from Rolls Royce he returned to England. Carey married three times and had two daughters, he died in 2004. His final years were spent in Bognor Regis.

Awards and decorations

 * Distinguished Flying Medal - 1 March 1940.
 * Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar - 31 May 1940.
 * Second bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross - 24 March 1942.
 * Air Force Cross - 1 January 1945.
 * Silver Star (United States) - 11 June 1946.
 * Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire - 11 June 1960.