244256 Sq.Ldr. Ernest Leslie "Nipper" Joyce DFM.Royal New Zealand Air Force 122 Squadron from:Hamilton, NZ (d.17th June 1944) Nipper, Ernest Joyce flew around 190 operations with 73 Squadron. Previously he had flown 54 operations with 3 Squadron. With 73 Squadron Nipper had 9 victories - four day and five night.
Later with 122 Squadron he destroyed another aircraft, He111. He destroyed 10, probably destroyed two and damaged 8. His victories with 73 Squadron were all whilst flying Hurricanes, these being two Me 109s, two CR42S and five Ju88s.
He was in command of 73 Squadron in 1943 as it converted to Spitfires. He was awarded the DFM in August 1942. Additional Information: | Since contributing my last information re Nipper Joyce, photographs and letters I have accessed written and taken by Joyce confirm ten victories. These are recorded on the side of his Hawker Hurricane in North Africa in a number of photographs and referenced in letters he wrote back home to New Zealand. He also had three probably destroyed and eight damaged, as confirmed by his log book, squadron Operations Record Book.
On 17th of June 1944 he was shot down in flames on the outskirts of a village, Marville-les-Bois, after suffering anti-aircraft fire damage whilst strafing a train in the station at Evreux. Now separated from the other 122 Squadron Mustangs he was then pursued by two Me109s and shot down by German Ace Hans Culemann.
His body was retrieved by villagers and a full funeral involving the inhabitants of four villages and priests was held at Marville-les-Bois and he is buried in the cemetery there. The local priest sent a letter to Nipper's mother after the war detailing the events from crash to funeral. I interviewed the husband of the girl who ran to the village for help when Nipper crashed and he confirmed the events, and added that he had talked to friend in Evreux who had witnessed Nipper's Mustang being hit by anti-aircraft fire over Evreux. John Stackhouse
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