 Ioannis Agorastos " John " Plagis , DSO , DFC & Bar ( 1919 – 1974 ) was a Southern Rhodesian flying ace in the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) during the Second World War , noted especially for his part in the defence of Malta during 1942 . The son of Greek immigrants , he was accepted by recruiters only after Greece joined the Allies in late 1940 . Following spells with No. 65 Squadron and No. 266 ( Rhodesia ) Squadron , he joined No. 249 ( Gold Coast ) Squadron in Malta in March 1942 . Flying Spitfire Mk Vs , Plagis was part of the multinational group of Allied pilots that successfully defended the strategically important island against numerically superior Axis forces over the next few months . Flying with No. 185 Squadron from early June , he was withdrawn to England in early July 1942 . 
