83 Squadron Lancaster I W4104 OL-A F/O. McDonald D.F.C.

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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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10/11.09.1942 No. 83 Squadron Lancaster I W4104 OL-A F/O. John McDonald D.F.C.

Operation: Dusseldorf, Germany

Date: 10/11th September 1942

Unit: No. 83 (PFF) Squadron (Pathfinders)

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4104

Code: OL-A

Base: RAF Wyton

Location: Neuss, West bank of the Rhine, Germany

Pilot: F/O. JohnGordon McDonald DFC J/5059 RCAF Age 25. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Albert GeorgeCook 1293852 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: F/O. Harris LewingtonMazengarb 402667 RAAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Philipp William Samwell 1195426 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Donald John Calderwood R/68128 RCAF Age 26. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. GrahamGeorge Millard 1179058 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Harry Raeburn Watson R/98140 RCAF Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

This aircraft took off from RAF Wyton at 20.36 hrs. carrying 1 x 2000, 1 x 1900, 32 flares, 4 red flares and 4 green flares.

The operation took place in fine weather with good visibility. 476 aircraft took part with 38 aircraft lost on this operation with many being claimed by the night fighters of 8 and 9./NJG2 and 1 and 3./NJG1.

The aircraft and crew failed to return from mission, their Lancaster crashed at Neuss. There are no nightfighter claims for this aircraft, so it is likely that they were probably hit by Anti-aircraft fire.

Crash site of Lancaster W4104 OL-A at Neuss

Left: F/O. JohnGordon McDonald DFC with Right: Fl/Sgt. Donald John Calderwood

Norman McDonald posthumously receiving his sons D.F.C. from the Governor General in Ottawa. Right: F/O. McDonald holding niece Patricia with nephew Ian in the back yard of his parents home.

Burial details:

Funerals of the deceased took place in the Nordfriedhof at Dusseldorf. Since been re-interred at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

F/O. John Gordon McDonald DFC. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. E. 1. Son of Norman Donald and Ida Louina McDonald, of Islington, Ontario, Canada.

Left: Grave of F/O. McDonald - click to enlarge

Sgt. Albert George Cook Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. E. 3. Son of George Henry and Annie Louisa Cook, of Wealdstone, Harrow, Middlesex, England.

F/O. Harris Lewington Mazengarb Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. D. 9. Son of Reginald Muller Mazengarb and Alice Winifred Mazengarb, of Cammeray, New South Wales. Australia.

Sgt. Philipp William Samwell Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. D. 10. Son of William and Josephine Samwell, of Northampton, England.

Fl/Sgt. Donald John Calderwood Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. D. 7. From Glencoe, Ontario, Canada. N.o.K details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

Sgt. Graham George Millard Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. D. 11. N.o.K details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

Right: Grave of Fl/Sgt. Watson - click to enlarge.

Fl/Sgt. Harry Raeburn Watson. (shown left) Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 11. D. 8. From Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Born 10th September 1921. Enlisted on the 22nd April 1941 at Windsor, Ontario, Canada. N.o.K details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to 'Dawn' at Find A grave, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Aircrew Remembered own Archives.

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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 MWO 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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, 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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