page_title: Leslie Douglas Jackson
section_title: Port Moresby
hierarchical_section_title: Leslie Douglas Jackson / Combat service / Port Moresby
caption_attribution_description: Port Moresby, New Guinea. August 1942. Kittyhawk fighter pilots of No. 75 Squadron RAAF, during a break in operations against the Japanese. Left to right: Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) L. D. Wintlen; Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) L. D. Jackson, Commanding Officer of the Squadron, who with his older brother, Sqn Ldr John Jackson (killed in action 28 April 1942), Flt Lt J. W. W. Piper and Flying Officer P. A. Masters fought fearlessly with the rest of the outnumbered Squadron.
context_page_description: Leslie Douglas Jackson, DFC & Bar was an Australian fighter ace of World War II, credited with five aerial victories. Born in Brisbane, he was a businessman when he joined the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve in 1937. Called up for active duty shortly after the outbreak of war in September 1939, he served with No. 23 Squadron in Australia before posting to the South West Pacific theatre with No. 21 Squadron in Singapore. In March 1942 he joined No. 75 Squadron in Port Moresby, New Guinea, flying P-40 Kittyhawks under the command of his eldest brother, John. During the ensuing Battle of Port Moresby, Les shot down four Japanese aircraft.
  Jackson took over command of No. 75 Squadron after his brother was killed in action on 28 April 1942, leading it in the Battle of Milne Bay later that year. Credited with a fifth aerial victory, he became the RAAF's first ace in the New Guinea campaign, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. By 1944, Jackson was wing leader of No. 78 Wing in Western New Guinea, gaining promotion to wing commander in September that year. Awarded a bar to his DFC in March 1945, he served as chief flying instructor at No.
context_section_description: Completing his service with No. 21 Squadron in November 1941, Jackson was again posted to No. 23 Squadron in Australia. In March 1942, he joined No. 75 Squadron in New Guinea as a flight lieutenant, under the command of his brother, known as "Old John". Operating P-40 Kittyhawks, the unit quickly became engaged in the defence of Port Moresby, one of the crucial early battles in the New Guinea campaign. As one of No. 75 Squadron’s flight commanders, Jackson took part in a surprise raid against Lae airfield on 22 March. Five Kittyhawks led by John Jackson attacked and destroyed a dozen Japanese planes on the ground, while four others including Les provided protective cover above; he survived an encounter with three Mitsubishi Zeros that saw two of his fellow pilots shot down. Two days later he recorded his first aerial victory when he intercepted and destroyed a Zero escorting a force of bombers towards Port Moresby.
  On 6 April, Jackson was forced to ditch his aircraft on a coral reef, but made it to shore with the aid of a life jacket that his brother John dropped to him.  In the following weeks, Les accounted for another three Japanese aircraft shot down.  On 5 April, he was attacked from behind by a Zero while firing on bombers front-on, but was able to turn the tables on the Japanese fighter and shoot it down in flames. The next day he went head to head with more Zeros, damaging two before being forced to ditch on a reef with a smoking engine; once down he scrambled out of the cockpit and danced on the wing to let his comrades know he was safe. Jackson shot down his third victim on 17 April. He achieved his fourth victory against another Zero on 24 April, to become the highest Australian scorer in the Battle of Port Moresby. On 28 April, John Jackson was shot down and killed while leading the interception of a Japanese raid; Les took over command of No. 75 Squadron the next day. On 30 April, the squadron was recalled to Australia to refit and regroup; Jackson flew one of its last remaining serviceable aircraft to Cairns, Queensland, on 9 May.
caption: Flight Lieutenant Jackson (second from left) with fellow pilots of No. 75 Squadron in Port Moresby, 1942
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