Leonard Isitt

Air Vice Marshal Sir Leonard Monk Isitt (27 July 1891 – 21 January 1976) was a New Zealand military aviator and senior air force commander. In 1943 he became the first New Zealander to serve as the Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a post he held until 1946. At the close of World War II, Isitt was the New Zealand signatory to the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. After the war, following retirement from the Air Force, he worked as chairman of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation and Tasman Empire Airways.

Early life Leonard Monk Isitt was born on 27 July 1891 in Christchurch, New Zealand, the son of the Methodist minister, member of parliament and prohibitionist Leonard Monk Isitt and Agnes Martha Caverhill. Leonard Monk Isitt junior was educated at Mostyn House, Cheshire, England and Christchurch Boys' High School. He had one brother, Willard Whitmore Isitt (1894–1916), who was a Rifleman in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in World War I and was killed in France on 31 October 1916.

World War I and air force service Following the outbreak of World War I he enlisted in April 1915 in the New Zealand Army and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. After service in Egypt he then moved to the Western Front where he was wounded in the head during the New Zealand Division's participation in the Battle of Flers–Courcelette. The scalp wound resulted in him being sent to England to recover, where he was discharged from the NZEF in March 1917.

On 10 May 1917 he was granted a probationary commission in the Royal Flying Corps as a second lieutenant, which was confirmed a month later. He was assigned as a pilot to a reconnaissance squadron with most of his duties involving artillery cooperation. During his period he shot down a single enemy aircraft, before being transferred back to England to serve as a flying instructor. After volunteering for frontline service he was assigned to 98 squadron in October 1917, flying the DH.9 on bombing missions. Based at Abscon airfield he flew his first mission on 9 October when 10 aircraft attacked Mons railway station. During the raid they were attacked by 15 Fokkers and Pfalzes. Two other major raids followed on 14 and 23 October. The later raid, was on the Hirson railway station, which saw two aircraft of the squadron shot down. In addition to these bombing flights he was also undertaking aerial reconnaissance.

In 1918 he was transferred to the Royal Air Force.

Inter-war years At the close of World War I, New Zealand had no military air organisation of any sort. On the request of the New Zealand government, the British Air Ministry sent Colonel (later Group Captain) A. V. Bettington to New Zealand to advise on the establishment of an air service. Bettington brought four aircraft with him and they were based at Sockburn airfield (later to become RNZAF Station Wigram). In 1919 Isitt, then a captain, was posted back to New Zealand where he was sent to Sockburn airfield to take care of the four aircraft and serve as commanding officer. Additionally Isitt served as the liaison officer to the Canterbury Aviation Company on behalf of the government.

Between the wars, one of Isitt's responsibilities was pilot flight training and he served in the Air Ministry, the New Zealand Permanent Air Force (NZPAF) and the RNZAF.

Post war Isitt retired in 1946 as Chief of the Air Staff and he became chairman of New Zealand National Airways Corporation in 1946 and Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) in 1947. He continued as TEAL chairman until 1963 when he was succeeded by Sir Andrew McKee.

Following his retirement as chairman of NAC and TEAL he served as chairman of Standard–Triumph New Zealand, Motor Assemblies Limited and then Leyland Motors of New Zealand until his final retirement in 1966.

Personal life Isitt married Elsie Gladys Caverhill (1896–1970) at Wellington on 26 April 1920. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1940 King's Birthday Honours, and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1946 New Year Honours. In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. His medals are held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand. A road at the Hobsonville airbase was named after Isitt. A nearby gully also bears his name.