Flying Officer Noel Alexander PIRIE

Noel Pirie volunteered for the RNZAF on 8 February 1942 as an 18 year old trainee pilot. His initial flight training took place at Harewood, Christchurch, on the DH82 Tiger Moth, before he moved to Woodbourne to complete his training on the North American Harvard II in November 1942.

Destined for the cockpit of a fighter, Noel was posted to Ohakea for advanced training and a transition to the P40E Kittyhawk. He then returned to RNZAF Fairhall with the formation of No. 16 Squadron.

By this stage of the war, New Zealand had committed to supporting the Allied command in the campaign to push Japanese forces from the Solomon Islands, New Georgia, and Papua New Guinea. On 19 June 1943, No. 16 Squadron moved to Pallikulo Field on Espiritu Santo for final training before joining the CACTUS forces at Guadalcanal. It was during this time that 19 year old Sergeant Pilot Noel had his first major scare; he became lost in a thunderstorm cloud at night, eventually locating the airfield after two hours with barely enough fuel remaining to taxi back to dispersal.

‍

The squadron soon transitioned to P40M aircraft and moved to the Kumkum airfield on Guadalcanal. Noel faced a second fright when a USMC Corsair pilot mistook him for a Japanese ‘bogey’ and attacked, though Noel luckily escaped without damage. From then on, 16 Squadron was heavily engaged in escorting B-24 Liberator bombers west toward Japanese-held Kahili and Munda. During his first major aerial engagements on 13–14 August 1943, Noel shot down a Japanese ‘Zeke’ fighter, returning to base with a bullet through his own propeller.

On 25 August, while flying as wingman to Battle of Britain veteran Flt Lt Bob Spurdle, the pair identified three camouflaged Japanese PT boats hiding in a cove off Choiseul Island. Spurdle later dedicated a chapter of his book, The Blue Arena, to this action, describing how they damaged the boats until they leaked fuel, eventually setting the entire scene ablaze. Spurdle described Noel as “one of the best potential air aces I ever met” and even attempted to have the RNZAF release him to the RAF, but Pirie’s skills were deemed more valuable closer to home.

The intensity continued the following day when Noel, flying alone, was attacked by Zeros. He blew up one enemy aircraft but sustained significant wing damage. That night, he returned to his cot only to find a prankster had left a non-poisonous green snake in his bed—his third ‘fright’ in as many weeks.

His first tour ended on 3 September 1943. While escorting B-24s near Bougainville, his aircraft was severely damaged by a Japanese ‘Tony’ fighter. Injured, Noel ditched on a reef north of Vella Lavella. He began paddling his dinghy toward enemy territory until a fellow P-40 pilot stayed overhead, directing him back to his downed aircraft to await rescue by a US Navy Higgins boat.

Following medical recovery in New Zealand, Noel completed two further tours with 19 and 21 Squadrons at Torokina on Bougainville. These missions primarily involved strafing and bombing Japanese positions and airfields at Rabaul. During these tours, Noel consistently flew P40N ‘K’ which bore the name of his future wife, ‘Barbara P’ on the cowls. He also flew P40 NZ3220, the third ‘Gloria’, now on display in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.

By the end of his service, Noel had completed 141 missions. He was Mentioned in Despatches in July 1945 for his meritorious service—a much-changed 21year old and an unsung hero of the Pacific. He proudly wore his pilot’s wings tattooed on his forearm, a point of humour later in life when he claimed to be “not in favor" of modern tattooing.

Noel rests in Fairhall (RSA) cemetery alongside his wife, Barbara, who served as an RNZAF Aircraftwoman.

Our thanks to Ian Pirie for providing his father’s story.