Clive Caldwell: World leader Ace in P-40 Warhawk

The Aussie Bootlegger AKA “Killer”

Clive Caldwell was an Australian Air Force Ace who downed 28+ aircraft during WW2, most of them with his American made P-40 Warhawk. No one shot down more aircraft as a P-40 pilot. He turned the venerable fighter into a deadly wrecking machine to both German and Japanese pilots. Known as “Killer” (a name he hated) for shooting up pilots who parachuted from their newly shot up fighters, he used his fighter to this deadly effect after seeing his friend similarly killed. “It's your life or theirs. This is war” he said, leaving it at that. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross and other distinctive awards for his service, he was eventually dismissed from the service for bootlegging alcohol to his American counterparts in the South Pacific in 1946 after war’s end. He was over the legal age to be trained as a fighter pilot when he joined up so he had a pharmacist friend lie about his age to get into the air force. He began his reign of aviation demolition a la P-40 at age 30.

Valor sees no age. Set it free.