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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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21 squadron badge
11.06.1940 21 Squadron Blenheim IV L8746 Flt.Lt. Don MacDonald

Operation: La Mare,Troop concentrations

Date: 11th June 1940 (Tuesday)

Unit: 21 Squadron

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: L8746

Code: YH-?

Base: RAF Bodney, Watton, Norfolk

Location: St-Aubin-sur-Scie, France

Pilot: Plt.Off. Don MacDonald RCAF PoW No: 115 * (1)

Obs: Sgt. Gwyn Lewis 580549 RAF Age 21. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Alistair Gordon Murray 759321 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

* Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang and Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

REASON FOR LOSS:

A disastrous day for the RAF and 21 Sqn in particular losing some 3 aircraft from the unit. (10 aircraft lost in total)

Pilot Plt.Off. Don Macdonald

A Blenheim was claimed on the 11th June 1940 by Ltn. Kurt Senoner, his 1st, from 3./JG20 south of Dieppe at 20:00 hrs (OKL Fighter claims). Only one Blenheim was lost this day so it is probable that this was L8746. They had been taking part in bombing troop concentrations at La Mare.

Above, Group shot taken at, we understand, Stalag Luft Sagan in 1944, Canadian aircrew from Manitoba, Canada. Plt.Off. MacDonald is shown rear row, 1st left. (courtesy Bill Anderson). See Featured story for details of the PoWs


(1) Plt.Off. Don MacDonald (Later Flt.Lt) Enlisted in April 1939. No

Above and left: St-Aubin-sur-Scie Communal Cemetery as photographed by our Kate Tame in 2012. Any relative who would like a copy of these in high resolution please contact us.

Burial details:

Sgt. Gwyn Lewis. St-Aubin-sur-Scie Communal Cemetery. Son of Annie Lewis, of Sketty, Swansea, Wales.

Sgt. Alistair Gordon Murray. St-Aubin-sur-Scie Communal Cemetery. Son of Alexander William Gordon Murray and of Winifred May Murray (nee Harrison), of Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.




Researched for relatives of these crews with thanks for additional information to Bill Anderson. Also thanks to Elizabeth Chambers for advising correct next of kin for Sgt. Lewis.

Note: Bill Anderson is the son of another crew member Plt.Off. Robert Anderson, also shot down, but later in the war in April 1944. He is also featured in the above photograph taken at, we understand, Stalag Luft Sagan. (Shown 4th from left, rear row)

RS 20.05.2020 - Editorial update

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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