Whitley N1371 hit by flak returned to Driffield airfield.
On the night of 14th / 15th June 1940 this 77 Squadron aircraft was undertaking an operational flight to attack various communications targets in the Euskirchen, Fagiers and Hirson areas when it was hit by flak and sustained some damage to a fuel tank. The pilot opted to jettison the bomb load and was able to make a safe return to land at Driffield at 03.20hrs and the damage was soon repaired on site.
Pilot - Acting W/C John Charles MacDonald DFC RAF (26183).
P/O Gard
Sgt Davidson
Sgt Storey
P/O Lumb
John MacDonald was born on Christmas Day 1910, he would become possibly the most highly ranked and decorated man who's career and life is detailed on this website. He trained
at Cranwell in the late 1920s and was appointed to a Permanent Commission of P/O in the RAF on 20th December 1930, he rose to F/O on 20th June 1942, F/Lt on 1st April 1935, S/Ldr
on 1st December 1938, W/C on 1st March 1941 and Acting G/Cpt on 8th December 1942. Post-War he remained in the RAF and was granted the rank of W/Co on 1st October 1946, G/C on
1st January 1949, Acting A/Cdre on 1st January 1961 and A/Cdre on 1st July 1964. Upon being granted a Commission in the RAF in 1930 he was posted to 56 Squadron as a pilot. After
further training he became a Flight Commander of 8 Squadron on 24th October 1936 and after a posting to Aden in 1937 he returned to the UK to become a Flight Commander of 102
Squadron in 1939. He later commanded either 102 Squadron or 77 Squadron (both based at Driffield). In January 1942 he was posted to command 15 Squadron. On 2nd July 1942 he was
made a PoW flying Mosquito DK298 with 105 Squadron but escaped from Stalag Luft III in April 1945. Post-War he was be Commanding Officer of RAF Akrotiri in 1956, the acted as the
United Kingdom Military Representative at "SHAPE". He later commanded the RAF in East Africa (Kenya) until 18th April 1964. Being such a high ranking officer and serving for over
thirty years one would expect him to be well decorated. he was awarded the CB on 1st January 1964 and the CBE on 13th June 1957. For his wartime service he was awarded the DFC
with 77 Squadron on 9th July 1940, and the Bar to the DFC on 15th June 1942 with 105 Squadron, the AFC days earlier on 11th June 1942. He was also Mentioned in Despatches on
28th December 1945 and the Legion of Honour, Croix de Chevalier on 15th April 1958. On 1st January 1964 awarded the Order of the Bath, CB.
Whitley N1371 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 24th September 1939. After a short period of storage at
an MU it was delivered to 102 Squadron at Driffield in November 1939 when the unit began converting to Mk.V's from Mk.III Whitleys. It later transferred to 77 Squadron also
based at Driffield in January 1940. Following this minor flak incident on 15th June 1940, as stated above, Cat M/FA damage was recorded and it was repaired on site very quickly
and returned to the unit. It sustained Cat.M/FB again five days later on 20th June 1940 when it was again hit by flak on Ops to Wanne-Eickel. Again the pilot in this instance
was able to return safely base (an incident detailed on this website). Again it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 24th June 1940 Cat.R(b)/FB damage was recorded
after it was sustained serious flak damage on Ops at Kassel. Seriously damaged by flak and with only one good engine the pilot made an emergency forced landing at Bircham Newton
sustaining further damage but the crew survived. It was taken apart and repaired in works and after completion of the repairs and after a period of storage it was issued to 19
OTU at Kinloss in 1941. On 31st December 1942 Cat.E(m)/FA had to be recorded on the airframe after it was lost at sea. Shortly after tale off from Kinloss to was seen to fly
into the sea in a steep dive and crash in Findhorn Bay with a number of its then crew being lost.