Supermarine Spitfire MkIX EN520, Colin Gray, No.18 Sq. RAF, Tunisia, April 1943

Spitfire (EN520) coded FL-A was flown by then Squadron Leader Colin F. Gray in Tunisia in the Spring of 1943. Squadron Leader Gray was the Commanding Officer of No 81 Sqn RAF.
The squadron operated the Mk IX Spitfires from January until November 1943. Gray was promoted to Wing Commander in May 1943 and took over No.322 Wing for the Italian campaign. In June and July 1943 he claimed five kills, including two JG 53 109Gs on 14 June and 10 July, a Macchi C.202 of 1 Stormo on 17 June and two Junkers Ju 52 transports of TG1 on 25 July. He was awarded a second bar to the DFC in November.
Colin Gray was a New Zealander who was the top scoring Kiwi ace of WWII. He is credited with 27 individual and two shared aerial victories plus six probable kills, with a further four shared probables.