 Plagis was the top @-@ scoring Southern Rhodesian ace of the war , and the highest @-@ scoring ace of Greek origin , with 16 confirmed aerial victories , including 11 over Malta . Awarded the Distinguished Service Order and other medals , he was also one of Rhodesia 's most decorated veterans . The Southern Rhodesian capital , Salisbury , honoured his wartime contributions by naming a street in its northern Alexandra Park neighbourhood after him . On his return home after retiring from the RAF with the rank of wing commander in 1948 , he set up home at 1 John Plagis Avenue , opened a bottle store bearing his name , and was a director of several companies , including Central African Airways in the 1960s . He contested the Salisbury City constituency in the 1962 general election , running for the Rhodesian Front , but failed to win . He died in 1974 , reportedly by suicide . 
