Clive Alan Gillions Dale

 Sergeant Clive Alan Gillions Dale — First New Zealander

125 (Newfoundland) Squadron

The 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron of the Royal Air Force was reformed in June 1941 at RAF Colerne, Wiltshire, initially equipped with Boulton Paul Defiant night fighters. The squadron had first been founded during the final year of the First World War in 1918, but it was revived at the request of the Newfoundland Commission of Government. In 1940, Newfoundland had raised a substantial war loan, and a surplus of $500,000 was presented to the British Government to fund the establishment of a squadron. The hope was that many of its aircrew would be Newfoundlanders.

In September 1941, 125 Squadron moved to RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, where it became fully operational with Defiant night fighters. Conversion to the more powerful Bristol Beaufighter began in February 1942, with the twin-engine aircraft entering service by April of that year. Many of the squadron’s aircraft carried names honouring regions of Newfoundland, reflecting the strong identity of the unit.

Later, in late 1942, detachments were deployed to RAF Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands, and by November, the squadron was operating from RAF Valley, Anglesey.

Early Life

Clive Alan Gillions Dale

Clive Alan Gillions Dale was born in August 1921, the son of Dale and Victoria Dale of Linton, Wellington, New Zealand. Before the war, he worked as a surveyor in the Public Works Department, pursuing a professional career at home. But like many young men of his generation, he felt the call to serve and volunteered for the Royal New Zealand Air Force in July 1940.

Military Service

Clive’s training progressed quickly. He was awarded his pilot’s badge in January 1941 and promoted to the rank of Sergeant the following month. By July 1941, he was posted to 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron, then operating night fighters as part of Britain’s air defence network.

Flying the Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I, Clive’s role was to patrol the night skies and intercept enemy aircraft during the critical period of the Blitz and beyond. It was highly dangerous work, carried out in darkness, often in poor weather, and always with the risk of collision or mechanical failure.

Death and Burial

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk 1

On the night of 25^th October 1941, Clive took off at 22:00 in a Defiant Mk I alongside his air gunner, Sergeant John Barron Bayliss. During their patrol, the aircraft struck the cable of a barrage balloon. Both men were forced to abandon the stricken plane before it crashed at Park Crescent, Skewen.

Clive Alan Gillions Dale
St. Hillay Church, Killay
credit - findagrave

Bayliss’s parachute opened, and he survived. Clive’s, however, failed to deploy in time. His body was found 200 yards from the crash site. He was buried at St. Hilary, Killay, becoming the first New Zealander to rest in the churchyard.

Legacy

Clive Dale was only 20 years old when he died. His story reflects both the courage and the vulnerability of the young Commonwealth pilots who came to Britain’s aid during the Second World War.

Though far from home, he rests in Wales, his grave a symbol of New Zealand’s wider contribution to the RAF and the defence of Britain. His comrade, John Barron Bayliss, survived the war and returned to New Zealand, where he lived until July 1990, when he was laid to rest in Maunu Cemetery, New Zealand.

At St. Hilary, Clive’s grave remains a reminder of the sacrifice of the first New Zealander buried there — a young man who crossed the world to fight for freedom and who gave his life in service.