File:Flying Officer Edgar 'Cobber' Kain's Glove (8971766463).jpg

On June 7 1940, Flying Officer Edgar 'Cobber' Kain died while performing a low-level aerobatic display as he was leaving the aerodrome at Echimenes, France. He was about to return to England for a rest from operations – by this time he had shot down 17 German aircraft and become one of New Zealand's most famous aces.

The glove above comes from one of Kain's earlier combat operations, in which he was wounded. It bears witness to the bullet graze to his left knuckle, described below.

"Shortly after 1800 hours, a car arrived, bringing back F/O E.J.KAIN, D.F.C., from a French unit, situated at the village of EVENDORFF, to which place he had been conducted after making his parachute descent. He looked somewhat the worse for his experience, & we now learnt that he had been wounded in the left calf & hand during the combat, and had also sustained burns to his face. In addition, he was bruised by his fall. The news that he had brought down one, & possibly two ME109's, was most gratifying to those assembled in the Mess. He was given immediate attention by the Station M/O, who ascertained that he had small pieces of shrapnel in his leg wound, & had had his knuckle grazed by a bullet." (Extract from 73 Squadron O.R.B. - March 26th 1940)

The glove and a card containing the above extract were handed to the Air Historical Officer, RNZAF in London by Mr E. Hall, the adjutant of Kain’s squadron during the early period of WW2. In February 1948 the glove, the card, and a copy of Kain’s combat report, were sent to the Historical Records Officer at the Air Department in Wellington. They were subsequently transferred to Archives New Zealand.

Archives Reference: ADQA 17263 AIR118/137/62l/753 3 <a href="http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=17863615" rel="nofollow">archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=17863615</a>