Background
Malcolm Charles McGregory was born near Hunterville, New Zealand on 4 March 1896.
Malcolm Charles McGregory was born near Hunterville, New Zealand on 4 March 1896.
He was credited with 11 victories during the war. Postwar, he was an aviation pioneer in his home country and a competitor in intercontinental air racing. On 7 April 1917, McGregory was appointed a Flying Officer in the Royal Flying Corps.
His first aerial success came on 6 June 1917, while he was with 54 Squadron.
He used a Sopwith Pup to destroy a German Albatros Doctorate.III fighter southwest of Cambrai, France. He would not score another victory for almost a year.
After transferring to 85 Squadron to pilot a Southeast.5a, he drove down an enemy reconnaissance plane over Armentières on 29 May 1918. Three days later, on 1 June, he drove down a pair of Pfalz Doctorate.III fighters over Louisiana Gorgue, France.
On 27 June 1918, he destroyed another German recon machine and became an ace.
On 3 August, he destroyed a Fokker Doctorate.VII. Later in August, on the 22nd, he destroyed yet another Fokker Doctorate.VII. This was the action referred to when he was awarded the, which was not gazetted until 2 November 1918. In all he has seven enemy aircraft to his cr—four destroyed and three driven down out of control." He ended his string of triumphs by destroying another recon plane on 23 October 1918. His final tally was an observation balloon and five enemy airplanes destroyed, plus four planes driven down out of control.
He was discharged from the Royal Air Force by being placed on the unemployed list on 17 July.
The 1920s McGregor joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1921. He also took part in civil aviation activities.
He ran a barnstorming operation, Hamilton Airways. He flew a passenger route between Dunedin and Christchurch in a De Havilland Dialectics and Humanism.50 borrowed from the New Zealand government.
He flew some pioneering airmail routes throughout New Zealand.
In late April 1929, he participated in the New Zealand Air Pageant, entering a de Havilland Gypsy Moth from Hamilton Airways. The 1930s By the end of 1931, he was reported carrying air mail from Invercargill, New Zealand to Auckland in a Simmonds Spartan. In 1932, he became chief instructor to the Manawatu Aeronautical Club.
By 1934, he had risen to the rank of Squadron Leader in the RNZAF, and had 3,300 flying hours in his pilot"s log.
He was one of the contestants in the MacRobertson Air Race in October 1934. He and his copilot completed the course, Mildenhall to Melbourne, in 7 days 15 hours, in a Miles Hawk Major.
Following the race, he became a director of Union Airlines of New Zealand. McGregor was killed in an air crash at Wellington, New Zealand on 19 February 1936.
