Flying Officer J MacDonald DFC RAFVR and crew - 576 Squadron - 1944
P/O MacDonald's crew were posted to 576 Sqn early June 1944 from 11 Base.
P/O J MacDonald RAFVR
Sgt J Beeson RAFVR
Sgt J S Pym RAFVR
Sgt J Fell RAFVR
Sgt J Thomson RAFVR
Sgt J F F McDonald RCAF
Sgt K A Grant RCAF
MacDonald flew as second pilot with F/L G A J Wood on the 12th June to Gelsenkirchen and then his first op with his own crew on the 17th June to Aulnoye. Their tour was completed succesfully in 4 months and was typical of the time. Most of these were communications targets, V Weapons sites, army support and oil production and some heavy attacks on German cities thrown in.
17/06/1944 - Aulnoye - ND859 - P/O J MacDonald
22/06/1944 - Mimoyecques - NE115 – P/O J MacDonald
23/06/1944 - Saintes - LM439 - P/O J MacDonald
24/06/1944 - Flers - LM439 - P/O J MacDonald
29/06/1944 - Domleger – ND994 - P/O J MacDonald
30/06/1944 - Oisemont - Neuville Au Bois - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
04/07/1944 - Orleans - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
05/07/1944 - Dijon - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
07/07/1944 - Caen - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
12/07/1944 - Revigny - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
17/07/1944 - Sanneville - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
18/07/1944 - Scholven Buer - ME801 - P/O J MacDonald
20/07/1944 - Wizernes - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
23/07/1944 - Kiel - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
25/07/1944 - Stuttgart - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
28/07/1944 - Stuttgart - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - Early return - Navigator sick. Returned to base after being airborne for 6 hours.
18/08/1944 - Ertvelde Rieme - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
25/08/1944 - Russelheim - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
26/08/1944 - Kiel - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
29/08/1944 - Stettin - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
31/08/1944 - Agenville - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - Air Bomber, Sgt Pym, injured by flak in target area.
06/09/1944 - Le Havre - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - Unserviceable radio telephone and did not hear instructions to reduce height so did not bomb.
10/09/1944 - Le Havre - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
20/09/1944 - Calais - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
23/09/1944 - Neuss - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
24/09/1944 - Calais - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - DNTO - Aircraft Unserviceable radio.
25/09/1944 - Calais - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - Forced to make 4 bombing runs
26/09/1944 - Cap Griz Nez - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
05/10/1944 - Saarbrucken - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
11/10/1944 - Fort Frederik Henrik - PD635 - F/O J MacDonald
14/10/1944 - Duisburg - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald
14/10/1944 - Duisburg - ME801 - F/O J MacDonald - Early return - Engine Unserviceable
15/10/1944 - Wilhelmshafen - NE115 - F/O J MacDonald.
Above pic of Jack and Ellen Fell on their wedding day. Jack was navigator in the crew.
Sgt Pym was wounded by flak during an attack on a V weapons target at Agenville. The Squadron records show that Pym continued to fly with this crew throughout their tour but I notice on the MacDonald crew photo F/S John Weir is shown front row right and I presume he took over as Air Bomber from Pym at least for a few ops if not all the remaining ops of this crew's tour.
MacDonalds crew flew most of their tour in Lancaster ME801 which ended the war as a Lancaster centurion with a proud 115 sorties.
Item compiled by David Fell with photos from the Fell family.
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