๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Group Captain A G Malan when Officer Commanding No. 20 Wing. Photograph taken at the Air Ministry Studios, London ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Group Captain A G Malan when Officer Commanding No. 20 Wing. Photograph taken at the Air Ministry Studios, London  ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

  

Adolph Gysbert Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, RNR (3 october 1910 – 17 September 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a South African World War 2 fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain.[1]

He finished his fighter career in 1941 with 27 destroyed, 7 shared destroyed and 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged.

 At the time he was the RAF's leading ace, and one of the highest scoring pilots to have served wholly with Fighter Command during World War II. 

๐““๐“พ๐“ท๐“ด๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ด 
After fierce fighting over Dunkirk during the evacuation of Dunkirk on 28 May 1940, Malan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross having achieved five 'kills'.

 During this battle he first exhibited his fearless and implacable fighting spirit. In one incident he was able to coolly change the light bulb in his gunsight while in combat and then quickly return to the fray.

 During the night of 19/20 June Malan flew a night sortie in bright moonlight and shot down two Heinkel He 111 bombers, a then unique feat for which a bar to his DFC was awarded. On 6 July, he was promoted to the substantive rank of flight lieutenant. 

Malan and his senior pilots also decided to abandon the "vic" formation used by the RAF, and turned to a looser formation (the "finger-four") similar to the four aircraft Schwarm the Luftwaffe had developed during the Spanish Civil War. 

Legend has it that on 28 July he met Werner Mรถlders in combat, damaging his plane and wounding him, but failing to bring him down.

 Recent research has suggested however that Mรถlders was wounded in a fight with No. 41 Squadron RAF

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