James MacKay was born on 13th April 1920 in Tain, in the Highlands of Scotland and was the son of James Donald and Catherine MacKay (nee Campbell). His parents also had two daughters and the family emigrated to the Viewfair district of Plenty, Saskatchewan, Canada when he was five years old. He was educated at Viewfair school. He was farming with his family in the Dodsland area when he enlisted into the RCAF on 18th November 1941 in Saskatoon. Having trained to be a bomb aimer in Canada he was awarded his Air Bomber's badge on 6th November 1942 and received a commission on the same date. He arrived in the UK on 18th December 1942 and after posting to 23 OTU at Pershore in February 1943 he joined the initial five man Wellington crew with Thomas Kneale. He was promoted to F/O on 6th May 1943 and joined 426 Squadron with the rest of Tom Kneale's Wellington crew in May 1943.
Following his death his family are believed to have left the Dodsland area. As the arrangements progressed for the memorial dedication Mr David Smith attempted to trace his living family but sadly was unable.
James MacKay was twenty three years old when he died as a result of the accident at Yearsley and is buried in Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire
with the other members of his crew.
