Wilfrid Greville Clouston was born in Auckland on January 15, 1916. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Wellington, where he received his secondary education. His college years were spent at Nelson College, and after graduating, he worked as a clerk for a company in the capital.
After obtaining his pilot’s license in 1935, Clouston joined the RAF in June 1936. Following the necessary training courses, his first assignment was with No. 19 Squadron, the first unit to be re-equipped with Spitfire fighters in June 1937.
Early Combat Engagements and Dunkirk
Following the outbreak of war, the unit was dispatched to the North Sea. However, until May 1940, the pilots did not undertake any combat sorties. On May 11, Clouston, as part of a group, shot down a Ju 88, and on May 23, a Bf 109 was credited to his personal tally.
Two days later, the squadron was relocated south for operations over Dunkirk. There, the New Zealander once again found success: on May 26, he shot down two Ju 87s, and the next day, a Do 17, also damaging another. Aerial combat over Dunkirk became increasingly intense, and on June 1, Wilfrid shot down another Bf 109 in a fierce battle (with another credited as probable and one damaged). Following the evacuation, the squadron returned to Duxford, and Clouston, among the top pilots, was awarded the DFC.
In late August 1940, the squadron participated in the “Battle of Britain,” and by its conclusion on October 31, the New Zealand pilot claimed three enemy aircraft shot down. In November 1940, Clouston took command of the newly formed No. 258 Squadron. The majority of its personnel were New Zealanders, a fact reflected in its emblem and uniform. From mid-December, the squadron was assigned to the air defense of Belfast and ports in northern England, a role they fulfilled until April 1941, when they were redirected south for sorties over occupied France.
Service in Southeast Asia
In April 1941, Clouston was transferred to command the newly formed No. 488 Squadron, a New Zealand unit earmarked for the war in Southeast Asia (SEA). He met his subordinates on October 10, 1941. The British supplied 21 Brewster Buffalo fighters to the squadron, and Clouston undertook the almost impossible task of forging a combat-ready squadron from young pilots, despite a shortage of spare parts and challenging weather conditions.
The Japanese attacked Malaya on December 8, 1941. At that point, No. 488 Squadron was not yet ready for combat, but the New Zealanders were forced into action. This was further compounded by the fact that the “Buffalo’s” performance characteristics were significantly inferior to those of any Japanese fighter.
On January 12, 1942, the squadron lost two aircraft, and five more were damaged, with three pilots wounded; notably, no Japanese aircraft were shot down. Twelve days later, only two aircraft were airworthy, prompting the urgent transfer of nine Hurricanes. However, the situation was hopeless, and they soon had to relocate to Sumatra. After a series of movements, in February 1942, the remaining aircraft were transferred to No. 605 Squadron of the RAAF, and all remaining personnel were sent to Australia by ship.
Captivity and Post-War Life
Clouston handed over command of the squadron to another New Zealander, John McKenzie, and transferred himself to work at RAF headquarters in Singapore. There, he was taken prisoner but managed to survive the horrors of captivity and was liberated after the war ended.
He remained in military service with the RAF until his retirement in 1957. Afterward, he returned to his homeland where he took up farming. He passed away in Waipukurau on May 24, 1980.