Flying Officer William "Bill" Allan Liddel Trott was born on 4 February 1913 in Dundedin, New Zealand.

Bill Trott enlisted on 21 December 1941 and joined No. 486 Sqn in August 1943. After operating against the V-1s during the summer of 1944, he moved with the unit to Holland later in the year. Operating over Germany on 14 February 1945, flying SA-Q (EJ711), he was hit by a fragment from a FLAK shell. He was very badly wounded, though he was able to fly back to base and land. A considerable period in hospital in the UK followed after he returned to New Zealand.

Making a complete recovery he decided to stay in the RNZAF and served with the occupation forces in Japan. On return to New Zealand he was sent back to UK to attend the RAF Staff College, but on 17 February 1955 he was killed when a Devon aircraft in which he was flying crashed near Wellington.

 

 

 

 

Left to right: Jim Sheddan, Bill Trott, Brian O' Connor, Spike Umbers, Johnny Wood, Colin McDonald and Dusty Miller. 

 

Trott's victories in Tempest

Date of Claim	Type Claimed	Aircraft Serial No.	Location of Claim	Unit
13 July 1944	V-1	SA-U (JN866)	5-6m W Tunbridge Wells	486 Sqn
23 July 1944	V-1	SA-Y (JN758)	Hastings	486 Sqn
23 July 1944	V-1	SA-Y (JN758)	Etchingham area	486 Sqn
27 July 1944	V-1	SA-F (JN763)	S West Maling	486 Sqn
6 Aug 1944	V-1	SA-P (EJ528)	Newhaven	486 Sqn
28 Aug 1944	V-1	SA-R (JN863)	2m W Tenterden	486 Sqn
1 Jan 1945	Fw190	SA-U (EJ606)	Venlo	486 Sqn

 

Sources:
Aces High Vol. 2 by Christopher Shores
The Typhoon and Tempest Story by Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas