Richard Nigel Cullen was born Richard Nigel Cohen in Newcastle, NSW, on 5 June 1917 to Hero Cohen (née Marks) and Horace David Cohen. The fathers of both parents had served as President of The Great Synagogue, Sydney: David Marks and Neville Cohen. Horace’s brother, Ralph Neville Cullen, had served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and been Killed in Action during WWI near Salonika in 1915 (see his separate entry). After this loss, Horace took his young family back to England, and served in the British army as a Captain.

From 1931, Richard followed his brother Neville through Sherborne School in Dorset, and around this time, the family changed their surname to Cullen. In 1934, now as Richard Nigel Cullen and fired by a love of adventure, he competed in motorbike racing and studied at the College of Aeronautical Engineering, Chelsea. After being wounded whilst fighting with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, Richard opined that: "the wars of the future would be fought in the air." Later in 1937, he joined the Royal Air Force (Reserve) aged 32: No. 39967 Flight Sergeant Richard Nigel Cullen. After the outbreak of WW II, he flew transports with RAF No. 267 Sqn in the Middle East and was promoted to Flying Officer on 31 December 1939.

Richard was assigned to No. 80 Sqn in September 1940, flying Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters in North Africa. The unit redeployed to Greece and it converted to Hawker Hurricane monoplanes in February 1941. By that time, Richard had claimed six Axis aircraft, been promoted to Flight Lieutenant and: “was a big, smiling, thick-set fellow, nicknamed ‘The Ape’.” On 28 February over Albania, he: “was pilot of one of a formation of aircraft which attacked a large force of enemy bombers escorted by at least thirty fighters. Displaying remarkable skill, Flight Lieutenant Cullen shot down five of the enemy’s aircraft in the ensuing action,” for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, with the citation concluding: “He has now destroyed 11 enemy aircraft and has consistently shown great resource and courage.”

Richard claimed another four aircraft on 3 March. The next day, he was flying one of four Hurricanes returning to Albania from bomber escort duties on five Italian warships. “Air ace” Flt Lt Pattle was attacked by a lone Fiat G.50bis. Pattle shot it down, but a second Fiat jumped his wingman and protégé, ‘The Ape.’ Richard Cullen's Hurricane crashed near Himarë, and the 23-year-old, new “ace” was Killed in Action on 4 March 1941.

Flight Lieutenant Richard Nigel Cullen was buried in Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery, Tirana, Albania. He was the first Australian-born Jew to be Killed in Action in WW II. The total number of Cullen's victories is estimated as 16. A detailed tribute to him can be found in Australian Jewry’s Book of Honour WW II by Gerald Pynt.

POSTSCRIPT

Richard’s brother, Neville Cullen, rose to Major in the Royal Artillery, serving in the Middle East and Kenya. They were second cousins to Paul Cullen, an outstanding Australian Army officer (DSO & Bar in WW II), who subsequently rose to Major General, the highest-ranking Jew since General Sir John Monash.

The Cullens were arguably Australian Jewry’s most outstanding military family.

Richard Nigel Cullen was born Richard Nigel Cohen in Newcastle, NSW, on 5 June 1917 to Hero M. Cohen (née Marks) and Horace David Cohen. The fathers of both parents had served as President of The Great Synagogue, Sydney: David Marks (1880-82) and Neville D. Cohen (1902-03 & 1906-08). Thus, their elder son (b. 1915) was named Neville David. Horace, a grandson of David Cohen who had arrived from Britain in 1838 and was a pioneer of the NSW Jewish community, kept with custom by taking his young family back to England, where only daughter Angela was born in 1919. Horace’s younger brother, Ralph Neville Cullen (née Cohen), had served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and been Killed in Action during WWI near Salonika on the Macedonian front in December 1915 (see his separate entry). After this loss, Horace is reported to have served in the British army as a Captain in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts. & Derby Regt.).

From 1931, Richard followed his brother Neville through Sherborne School in Dorset. Around this time, the family members changed their surname to Cullen, following the precedent of their extended family. While still living in Putney from 1934, but now as Richard Nigel Cullen and fired by a love of adventure, he competed in motorbike racing at Brooklands and studied at the College of Aeronautical Engineering, Chelsea. Then, as a member of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, he suffered a stomach wound and was repatriated to England. When Richard next caught up with his friends from Brooklands, he was reluctant to talk about the conflict except to say that: "the wars of the future would be fought in the air." Later in 1937, he joined the Royal Air Force (Reserve) aged 32, becoming No. 39967 Flight Sergeant Richard Nigel Cullen. After the outbreak of World War II, he served initially as a ferry (transport) Pilot Officer with RAF No. 267 Squadron in the Middle East and on 31 December 1939 was promoted to Flying Officer.

Richard sought reassignment to fighters and was posted to No. 80 Squadron in September 1940, flying Gloster Gladiator biplanes. The unit redeployed from North Africa to Greece in November and converted to Hawker Hurricane monoplanes in February 1941. By that time, Richard had claimed six Axis aircraft, been promoted to Flight Lieutenant and: “was a big, smiling, thick-set fellow, nicknamed ‘The Ape’.” On 28 February over Albania, he: “was pilot of one of a formation of aircraft which attacked a large force of enemy bombers escorted by at least thirty fighters. Displaying remarkable skill, Flight Lieutenant Cullen shot down five of the enemy’s aircraft in the ensuing action,” for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, with the citation concluding: “He has now destroyed 11 enemy aircraft and has consistently shown great resource and courage.”

Richard claimed another four enemy aircraft in the one engagement on 3 March. The next day, flying Hurricane V7288, Richard was escorting a group of 14 Blenheims near Himarë in southern Albania. After the Blenheims had bombed their target (five Italian warships) and were on their return flight, South African-born Flight Lieutenant Pattle - one of the leading British “air aces” of the war - ordered the four Hurricanes to hunt in pairs over the warships where a number of Italian fighters were seen. At once, a lone Fiat G.50bis attacked Pattle and his wingman, who on this occasion was his protégé, ‘The Ape.’ Pattle reported shooting down the Fiat and watching it spiral into a mountainside but, at this moment, a second Fiat jumped Richard Cullen's Hurricane and he was not seen again. The aircraft crashed near Himarë, and the 23-year-old, new “ace” was Killed in Action on 4 March 1941.

Flight Lieutenant Richard Nigel Cullen was buried in Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery, Tirana, Albania. He was the first Australian-born Jew to be Killed in Action in WWII.

Although the official history of Australia in the war puts the number of Cullen's victories at thirteen, his total score is more commonly estimated as sixteen or sixteen-and-a-half. A detailed tribute to Cullen from Wings Over Olympus by T.H. Wisdom can be found in Australian Jewry’s Book of Honour WWII by Gerald Pynt.

POSTSCRIPT

His brother, Neville Cullen, joined the Territorial Army in 1938, then served in the Middle East and Kenya during WW II, rising to Major in the Royal Artillery.

Richard was a second cousin to Paul Cullen (through both pairs of parents), an outstanding Australian Army officer (DSO & Bar in WW II) who subsequently rose to Major General, the highest-ranking Jew since General Sir John Monash.

The Cullens were arguably Australian Jewry’s most outstanding military family.