 Air Commodore Gordon Henry Steege , DSO , DFC ( 31 October 1917 – 1 September 2013 ) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) . He became a fighter ace in World War II , credited with eight aerial victories . Joining the RAAF in July 1937 , Steege first saw action with No. 3 Squadron in the Syrian campaign in 1941 . He was then posted to No. 76 Squadron in the United Kingdom , where he learned to fly at the Royal Flying School , scoring his first aerial victory in December 1942 . After a short period with No. 1 Squadron in