Operation: Top Cover

Date: 07th May 1943 (Friday)

Unit: No. 145 Squadron (motto: Diu noctuque pugnamus - 'We fight by day and night'). 244 Wing. 211 Group. Northwest African Tactical Air Force

Type: Spitfire IX

Serial: EN444

Code: ZX-?

Base: RAF Hergla, Tunisia

Location: La Goulette area

Pilot: W/O. Hugh McKinnon NZ/411081 RNZAF Age 27. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Providing top cover to Kittyhawks on a shipping raid off La Goulette taking off at 13:00 hrs with 11 others.

Dived from 11,000 ft to attack 2 Me109's sighted at 5,000 ft. However when they reached 8,000 ft. the section redirected its attention to 2 others at the same height.

W/O. McKinnon target was seen to be hit with trailing white smoke. P/O. Gordon Wesley Small Aus/403150 flying Spitfire IX EN263 also shot down an Me109 and then lost sight of W/O. McKinnon who failed to return.

L-R: Rear; JD Howard, L Guise, GC Arkley, Cyril Charles Newlove NZ/41994 killed 16th August 1942, Trafford McRae Nicol NZ/411929 killed 24th April 1942, Douglas Walter Cocks NZ/41878 died 05th January 1987.

Middle; Graham Edward Murdoch NZ/411927 killed 09th June 1942, Alan Gray Tolley NZ/411954 killed 21st April 1943, RD Lucas, W Honeyfield, NJ McHugh, HR Leckie, EDB Lusk, Sidney Arnold Crump, PD Mullooly. NZ/411978 killed 23rd December 1941.

Front; Cyril Henry Baigent NZ/411973 died 10th November 1953, John McCullough NZ/40410 killed 03rd February 1943, FB Snell, Hugh McKinnon, Kingi Te Aho Aho Gilling Tahiwi NZ/411951 killed 30th September 1942, WG Horne, Frank Murphy NZ/411928, RW Gilbert.

Burial and personal details:

W/O. Hugh McKinnon. Alamein Memorial. Column 277. Born on the 25th July 1915 in Taree, Argyll, Scotland. Arrived in New Zealand 1927. worked as a truck driver for Nelsons Ltd, Tomana Freezing works at Hastings. Enlisted at Levin, initially as an air gunner on the 15th February 1941. Trained at No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School and No. 2 Service Flying Training School. Awarded pilots badge on the 11th August 1941 and promoted to sergeant on the 06th September 1941. Embarked for England on the 12th September 1941.

Conversion training at 53 Operational Training Unit before joining 74 squadron on the 20th January 1942. carried out 20 operational sorties. Joined 274 squadron on the 04th September 1942 carried out 30 operational sorties. Joined 145 squadron on the 21st November 1942 in Egypt. Son of Donald McKinnon (died 08th March 1958, age 75) and of Mary Flora McKinnon (nee Campbell - died 25th September 1967), of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. 407 flying hours logged and completed 135 operational sorties.

Credited with 2 enemy aircraft destroyed and a further 2 as probable damaged.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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