To Paterson Clarence Hughes, known as Pat, it was "unrivalled in the magnificence and grandeur of its beauty". In his school essay titled An Autumn Evening, a man dubbed "the watcher" sat on a jutting crag. Looking with "wondering awe" into the distance, he gave an "involuntary exclamation" as the "slanting rays of the setting sun" revealed the scene before him.

It is not hard to imagine that Pat was writing about himself, transported to the land of his childhood, a place of clean, fresh air where the "gracious hand of autumn" softly "caressed the countryside and decorated it in the purest gold and brown".

Pat's father, Percy, a great-grandson of a first fleet convict, moved to the Monaro from the Hunter and was a teacher in a succession of one room schools. He married local girl Caroline Vennell in 1895 and raised a large family. Pat was born on September 19, 1917. Percy fell on hard times and by 1921 was working as a labourer. In 1928 the family moved to Sydney, first to Ashfield West and then to Haberfield. Life was difficult. Labouring jobs were few during the Depression and some of his older children, who had already left home, assisted with household expenses.

Percy and Caroline's youngest son loved sport and devoted much of his leisure to field, court and pool. He was in the premier team of the fourth grade rugby league competition and later moved up to first grade. He played tennis, swam for his school and attained the surf lifesaving bronze medallion. He spent hours constructing crystal radio sets and tuning into programs from all over the world but his great love was flying. He was forever making balsa wood model aeroplanes and he read about the premier Great War pilots of both sides of the conflict, including Mannock, whom he considered "the best of all the British pilots".

Pat attended Petersham Public High School and was remembered as having above average intelligence which saw him ranked second of the school's 106 students who would sit for the Intermediate Certificate. He displayed early leadership tendencies and was made a prefect and, later, vice-captain. After Petersham, he attended Fort Street Boys' High School for eight months, where he obtained satisfactory passes in all subjects before leaving to take up employment as a junior stock clerk at a jewellery shop.

The boyhood enthusiasm for model aeroplanes translated to something more substantial and he took a couple of joy flights. He believed the Royal Australian Air Force would "be the thing in [a] couple of years" so he applied for and was offered a cadetship at the RAAF's training school at Point Cook, near Melbourne.

He soloed on March 11, 1936. "It is quite unnecessary and impossible to tell how I felt", he wrote afterwards. "I went mad, whistled, sang and almost jumped for joy." When he completed his pilot training in November he was assessed as "energetic and keen" but "has no outstanding qualities".

It would be a wrench leaving "the best family in the world" but he decided to join the Royal Air Force rather than stay in Australia as he wanted to "try and do something special". He completed additional training in England, was posted to a fighter squadron in June 1937 and became adept at flying the RAF's rigid attack formations. In November 1939, two months after the declaration of war, he was posted to the newly-forming 234 Squadron as a flight commander. Within months, the 22-year-old was looked on as the squadron's de facto leader.

The young Australian was recognised as a "natural born good shot". He developed an uncompromising combat style; he believed in getting as close to the enemy as possible. He was known for opening "fire at 100 yards closing to 50". Or less. It was dangerous - and his Spitfire was hit on many occasions - but it was highly effective and his personal tally continued to mount after his first victory on July 8, 1940.

He was up at first light, often in the air three times a day, turning in long after sunset. It was demanding and exhausting. During the period August 31 to September 6, Pat carried out 12 sorties in seven days and was again in battle on September 7, the first day of the London Blitz. He thrust his Spitfire towards a formation of Dornier Do17s and picked out a straggler. His machine gun fire was so concentrated a large piece flew off. One of the wings then crumpled and the stricken aircraft plunged into a fatal spin. Pat baled out as his Spitfire plummeted too but no one knows if it had been hit by enemy fire, knocked by falling debris or if the aggressive pilot had deliberately rammed the Dornier. His parachute failed to open. On a blazing blue autumn evening 12 days before his 23rd birthday, the brave fighter pilot fell to his death in a suburban garden.

Pat was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His battle prowess and leadership were deservedly lauded. He had displayed fearless courage, remarkable skill and devotion to duty throughout his brief flying career. Under him, the squadron had become a viable force. According to one of his men, "we respected him, listened to him". Indeed, "he was the real power behind the squadron".

The Australian had accrued 14 and three shared destroyed aircraft, one shared destroyed unconfirmed, and one probably destroyed. The pilot rated at the end of his cadetship as having "no outstanding qualities" was, with all the part shares, a triple ace. The lad from the Monaro was later ranked in the top ten Battle of Britain pilots, in the top three Australian aces of World War II, and in the RAF's top 50. In going to England, he had undeniably done "something special".

The conclusion of the school boy essay which evoked Pat's strong attachment to the Monaro provides a strangely apt epitaph. "The watcher rose slowly to his feet, and with the beauty of that autumn evening impressed on his soul, he started again on his journey. For a moment he was lost to view behind an outcrop, but then for a short time he stood, vaguely outlined against the lighter gloom of a wide-arched sky - and then he passed from sight - over the skyline."

Like the watcher, Paterson Clarence Hughes passed over the skyline but not entirely out of sight. Cooma honours their former son with a memorial at Monaghan Hayes Place, and his medals are on permanent display in the Australian War Memorial's Anzac Hall.

Pat Hughes and his confreres who fought in Britain's defence will be honoured in a wreath laying ceremony at the Australian War Memorial's Western Courtyard at 10amfor 10.30am onSeptember 15, 2014.

Canberra's Kristen Alexander is the author of Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain, which features Pat and seven of his compatriots, and is co-owner of Alexander Fax Booksellers, military book specialists.