Arthur Umbers

Arthur Umbers
Arthur Umbers
Nickname(s)	Spike
Born	30 June 1919; Dunedin, New Zealand
Died	14 February 1945 (aged 25); Meppen, Germany
Buried	Munster Heath War Cemetery, Germany
Allegiance	New Zealand
Service/branch	Royal New Zealand Air Force
Years of service	1940–1945
Rank	Squadron Leader
Service number	404003
Commands held	No. 486 Squadron
Battles/wars	Second World War Channel Front; Western Front (1944–1945); Operation Diver; Western Allied invasion of Germany;
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross and bar

Arthur Ernest Umbers DFC & Bar (30 June 1919 – 14 February 1945) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with the destruction of five German aircraft as well at least fifteen V-1 flying bombs.

Born in Dunedin, Umbers joined the RNZAF in 1940. After completing his flight training, the latter part of which was received in Canada, he was posted to the Royal Air Force's No. 74 Squadron in August 1941 and then onto No. 486 Squadron, with which he flew extensively on both night operations and offensive sorties for nearly 18 months. After a rest period, during which he was a test pilot for Hawker Siddeley and then the Gloster Aircraft Company, he returned to operational flying in April 1944 with No. 3 Squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Hawker Tempest and when the Germans began launching V-1 flying bombs at England, it was tasked with intercepting them. Umbers was the first New Zealander to destroy a V-1. In December he returned to No. 486 Squadron as its commander. He was killed in action when his aircraft was hit by flak while attacking barges on the Dortmund-Ems Canal.