Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick Agnew Vance Manfield Drummond was known as Fred. He was the son of Leonard Henry Vance Drummond and Dorothy Joesephine May Drummond of Hamiliton East, Waikata, New Zealand. Fred was born in 1921. He was obsessed by Spitfires even before the Battle of Britian. Fred was a public servant who supplemented work with study at the University of Auckland. It is likely that he tried unsucessfully to be an RNZAF Fighter Pilot. However  was not selected for Aircrew. Hence Fred relocated to Sydney to try his luck with the RAAF. He lived in the YMCA and worked as a Porter. Fred was accepted for Aircrew. He made the cut to train as an RAAF Pilot.  Fred was a member of the first RAAF Pilot intake to be trained in Canada. This was under the Empire Air Traing Scheme which originated in Canada. He got his wings with the RCAF in Canada. The new RAAF Pilot fledglings were then sent to the U.K. for Operational Training. The RAF wanted both Fighter Pilots and Heavy Bomber Pilots at that stage of the war.

Fred wanted Spitfires as did Alex Kerr, his classmate and an ex-RAAF aquaintance of mine. The RAF Aircrew Reception Unit in the U.K. had the RCAF list of RAAF Pilots from No 1 Course. They were not ranked by flight test score ability but listed alphabetically. The cut for Fighter Command and Bomber Command O.T.U. was made by ruling a line between to top and bottom half of the RCAF list of RAAF Pilots. Hence, Fred got Spitfires because D for Drummond was in the top half. Alex much to his disappointment got Bomber Command. For K for Kerr was in the bottom half of that RCAF Pilot Course list. Alex was shot down in 1941 but he survived WWII. Fred however was killed in a Spitfire mid-air collision in 1941.

Fred had 43 hours on Spitfires when he along with  three new Pilots were sent to No 111 Fighter Squadron RAF. His RAF C.O. told them that he expected them to maintain a tight formation. Luffwaffe Fighter Pilots however flew a much more effective schwarm or finger four formation. This was demonstrated during the Battle of Britain. That then subdivided into a rotte or two ship formation during combat, with a leader and a wingman. However, the RAF were using large Vic Formations to move squadrons and position them for combat. The disadvantage is that Fighter Pilots must have their eyes focused inwards on formating. The two ship combat formation is widely used today but not then in the RAF. However, Fred's section leader took him up in a two ship formation to make sure that he could format. Then while inbound at 800 feet, Fred broke formation and buzzed his section leader at high speed. This antic caused a mid-air collision. Fred's port wing detached. That reckless high speed manoeuvre caused his death. 

The RAF Court of Inquiry found that Fred had a history of overconfidence to the point of recklessness. This was evidences by a letter that Fred wrote to his parents on 18 December 1940. He boasted about his ability to break the rules with low level stunts. To the extent that his classmates would not fly with him, according to Fred's letter. Exhibit A.  His lack of self discipline in the cockpit of a Spitfire caused his death.

However, Fred remained a hero to his little brother, Vance Drummond. For he too wanted to fly Spitfires. Vance was selected for RNZAF Aircrew but trained as a Navigator. Following WWII, Vance was demobilized. He too went to Sydney to try his luck with the RAAF. Vance was trained as a RAAF Fighter Pilot. He got his combat experience in Korea but was shot down. Vance survived and was taken POW. Following the Korean War, he converted to the RAAF MIRAGE III but was killed in a high speed crash. 

Hence Len and Dot Drummond of Waikato in New Zealand lost two sons in aircaft accidents. Fred and Vance were both New Zealanders who became RAAF Fighter Pilots. They both died young. Lest We Forget.