Brian Carbury, the son of a veterinary surgeon, was born in Wellington on February 27 1918. The family later moved to Auckland where he attended King's College from 1932 to 1934, before becoming a shoe salesman at the Farmers' Trading Co., Auckland.

In 1937 Carbury went to England with the intention of joining the Royal Navy. However, when told that he was too old, he applied for a short service commission in the RAF and was accepted.

In June 1938, his flying training completed, Carbury joined 41 Squadron, flying Hawker Furies. In August 1939 he was attached to 603 Squadron, stationed at Turnhouse, near Edinburgh. This unit was part of the Auxiliary Air Force, whose members - both pilots and ground staff - were only part-time airmen, doing their service in the evenings, weekends and on a two week annual summer camp. Carbury's task was to assist with Spitfire training. As war approached 603 was organised for full-time service and Carbury's temporary attachment was made permanent in September.

On 16 October a section of 603 was scrambled and shot down a Junkers Ju-88 bomber into the sea east of Dalkeith, the first German aircraft to be shot down over British territory since 1918. Carbury probably destroyed an He III on 7 December and claimed a third share in the destruction of another during January 1940.

The next seven months were comparatively uneventful in Scotland and it was with some feeling of relief from the frustration of inactivity that 603 moved south to Manston on August 27 1940. Two days later Carbury shot down his first Bf 109, on the 30th another and on the 31st he destroyed two He III's and three more Bf 109's. In one of these actions he was slightly wounded in the foot. With three more 109's destroyed in September Carbury was awarded the DFC.

Successful actions against Bf 109's continued in October. On the 2nd he destroyed one over the Thames Estuary and sent another one down south-east of London on the 7th. Three days later Carbury was leading his section when he saw twenty Bf 109's on their way back to France. The three Spitfires attacked and Carbury shot down two of the enemy fighters, one going into the sea and the other crashing on the beach at Dunkirk. He damaged a Ju 88 on 14 October.

In late October Carbury was awarded a Bar to the DFC, one of the few pilots given the double award during the period of the Battle of Britain. With his claimed destruction of fifteen enemy aircraft and another shared during the Battle, Carbury was among the five top-scoring pilots in RAF Fighter Command.

603 Squadron returned to Scotland in December 1940. On Christmas day Carbury was scrambled to intercept a Ju 88 reported off St Abb's Head, inflicting damage before the German aircraft turned for home.

Early in 1941 Carbury was posted to be an instructor and did not fly operationally again. After leaving the RAF he lived in England until his death in July 1962.