Orders, Decorations and Medals

An exceptional Hurricane and Spitfire pilot's D.F.M. group of six awarded to Flying Officer J.D. Rudling, 136 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, for the Defence of Chittagong, later shot down and killed over Burma

DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL, G.VI.R. (N.Z. 41714 F/Sgt., R.N.Z.A.F.) on its original investiture pin; 1939-45 STAR; BURMA STAR; NEW ZEALAND WAR SERVICE MEDAL; WAR MEDAL; NEW ZEALAND MEMORIAL CROSS, G.VI.R., unnamed in case of issue, good very fine (6)

D.F.M., London Gazette, 12 November, 1943; the following information was taken from an official source: 'Flight Sergeant Rudling has flown continuously on operations since December 1942. He has been in combat with enemy aircraft on 3 occasions and each time displayed marked courage and determination. In April 1943, he was engaged by an enemy aircraft for 5 minutes but succeeded in shooting it down. A month later, during an enemy attack at Chittagong, he attacked 3 hostile bombers, damaging at least one, but his own aircraft was set on fire by a Japanese fighter. In spite of this, he again attacked an enemy bomber and continued to fire until his own aircraft was blazing and he had to leave it by parachute. Throughout his operational career, this airman has shown outstanding skill in operations.'

Flying Officer John David Rudling, D.F.M., was born at Vavau, Tonga in March 1922




and explode before he force-landed on the nearest strip without flaps or brakes. His Spitfire ended up on its nose but did not catch fire possibly because when Rudling landed there was scarcely any petrol left in its tanks. Then on 29 April 1944 tragedy struck. He took off with nine other aircraft to make a low-1evel attack on Kangaung airfield inside Burma, flying Spitfire VIII (JF619) as 'Janus Red 3'. Nearing the target his flight was jumped by 5 enemy fighters and Rudling was seen to dive down to the assistance of 'Janus Red 1', inflicting damage on an Oscar before himself being attacked from behind. Soon afterwards fellow pilots saw his Spitfire explode in the air, burning wreckage falling to the ground. His body, recovered by the local Burmese, was buried near to the crash site. In September 1953 the remains were exhumed and reburied at Taukkyan Cemetery, near Rangoon, Burma.