Nicky Barr

Nicky Barr
Nicky Barr (1915–2006) was a member of the Australian national rugby union team who became a fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Selected to play for Australia against the United Kingdom in 1939, he had just arrived in England when war broke out and the tour was cancelled. He joined the RAAF in 1940 and was posted to North Africa with No. 3 Squadron in September 1941. Barr's achievements as a combat pilot earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. Shortly after taking command of No. 3 Squadron in May 1942, he was shot down and captured by Axis forces, and incarcerated in Italy. He escaped and assisted other Allied fugitives to safety, receiving for his efforts the Military Cross, a rare honour for an RAAF pilot. Repatriated to England in 1944, he saw action during the invasion of Normandy before returning to Australia as chief instructor with No. 2 Operational Training Unit. He rejoined the RAAF as an active reserve officer from 1951 to 1953. After his subsequent success for many years in the oilseed industry, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1983.