Peart joined the
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in May 1941. According to his memoirs, he was selected to be trained as a bomber pilot but protested to the commander of the flying school. He successfully advocated that he be sent for training as a fighter pilot instead. After completing his training, he was sent to England to serve with the
Royal Air Force. He received further flight training at
Hullavington and then proceeded to
No. 55 Operational Training Unit at
Annan in Scotland, learning to operate the
Hawker Hurricane fighter. In June 1942, Peart was posted to
No. 610 Squadron with the rank of
sergeant pilot. Commanded by
Squadron Leader Johnnie Johnson, the squadron operated the
Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He was involved in numerous sorties to continental Europe, including providing aerial cover for the
Dieppe Raid in August, until November when he was transferred to
No. 81 Squadron, at the time based in Algeria and operating Spitfire Vbs from
Maison Blanche, near
Algiers.
Mediterranean On 1 December, Peart destroyed an Italian
Savoia-Marchetti SM.84 bomber over Bone Harbour and damaged another. On 31 December he damaged a
Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter while flying the personal aircraft of
Wing Commander Petrus Hugo. The following year, the squadron's Spitfire Vbs were replaced by the superior Spitfire IX. By this time Peart had been commissioned and was now a
pilot officer. On 23 April 1943, he damaged a Bf 109 and two days later destroyed another near
Medjez-el-Bab. Soon afterwards, the squadron shifted to the island of
Malta and began flying operations to
Sicily and Italy as the Italian campaign commenced. Some of the squadron's Spitfires had to be exchanged with the older Spitfire Vcs. During the
invasion of Sicily on 10 July, No. 81 Squadron helped protect the landings. While on patrol on 16 July, No. 81 Squadron encountered a dozen Bf 109s; Peart damaged one of them, when flying one of the older Spitfire Vcs. A few days later, the squadron began operating from Sicily itself. While escorting
Douglas Boston bombers over the
Gulf of Saint Euphemia on 28 August, Peart, back in a Spitfire IX, was among eight Spitfires that fended off an attack by a group of Bf 109s, destroying one of them in the process. On 13 September, when leading a flight of six Spitfires, he helped two other pilots destroy one of three
Dornier Do 217 bombers attacking Allied shipping near the beachhead at
Salerno. Afterwards he had to land at Salerno due to an overheating engine. He caught a ride back on a
Douglas C47 transport back to his airfield.
Burma In November 1943, No. 81 Squadron was transferred to India, re-equipped with Spitfire VIIIs. It arrived at the front, at
Imphal, in January the following year. The Japanese invaded India on 4 February and the squadron sought to achieve air superiority, flying forward to temporary airstrips from which they operated during the day, returning to Imphal at night. On 13 February, Peart damaged two
Nakajima Ki-43 fighters, known as Oscars. In March 1944, Peart was one of six pilots sent with their aircraft to an airstrip, named Broadway, in the jungle to support the operations of the
Chindits. The following day, 30 Japanese Oscar fighters attacked the airstrip but forewarned, the Spitfires were already airborne and able to shoot down four of the enemy aircraft plus damaged others. Three days later, on 16 March, the Spitfires intercepted a group of Oscars, with Peart destroying one and damaging another. Poor weather later in the day saw the Spitfires fly to Imphal, returning the next day. On landing, they were surprised by several enemy fighters. Four of the six Spitfires were destroyed on the ground and a pilot killed but Peart and his squadron commander took off in time and shot down one Oscar. Peart's commander was shot down, leaving the New Zealander to fight a solo dogfight against the remaining Japanese. Later, it was decided to abandon the airstrip and provide support for the Chindits from Kangala instead. The Japanese advance caused No. 81 Squadron to withdraw from Imphal and commence operations from
Kumbhirgram, escorting transports into the Imphal valley and endeavouring to maintain air superiority. On 17 April he claimed one Oscar as destroyed and another damaged. He recorded 24 combat patrols for April and 20 for the first two weeks of May before he was withdrawn and sent to take a course at
No. 1 Air Fighting Training Unit. In June 1944, Peart's award of the
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was announced. The citation for his DFC, published in
The London Gazette, read: Soon after being awarded the DFC, Peart completed his course and returned to No. 81 Squadron as a qualified instructor. However in August, just over a month after his return, the squadron was withdrawn to
Ceylon for a rest. Peart was posted to India where he took command of a fighter conversion and tactical flight, based at
Poona. Due to illness, he was repatriated back to New Zealand in February 1945. On recovering his health, he briefly served as an instructor and was discharged from the RNZAF later that year with the rank of
flight lieutenant. He ended the war credited with the destruction of six enemy aircraft, a share in a seventh destroyed and nine damaged. ==Later life==