Flight Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Grey Culling was New Zealand's first World War I flying ace, and was credited with six aerial victories.Culling was assigned to fly Sopwith Triplane No. N5444 with 1 Naval Squadron after joining the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916. He began to score victories in Bloody April 1917, with his first three coming that month. The third one was significant; it was part of one of the war's epic dogfights.