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William Burn

Personal details

Full Name:

William Wallace Allison Burn

Lifetime:

17 Jun 1891 – 30 Jul 1915

Biography

William Burn
William Wallace Allison Burn was the first New Zealander to qualify as a military aviator. During the First World War he served in the Middle East, where he became the first New Zealand pilot to be killed in action.

Articles

The War in the air

More than 800 New Zealanders served as air or ground crew in the war between 1914 and 1918, the vast majority of them in Europe. A handful saw action in Gallipoli and the Middle East. Read the full article

Page 4 - New Zealand's air war 1914-1918

With no military flying corps in New Zealand, hundreds of adventurous young Kiwis joined British and Australian air services during the First World

Portrait of Lieutenant William Burn, Royal Flying Corps