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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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66 Squadron Crest
25.12.1944 No. 66 Squadron Spitfire LF.XVI SM211 P/O. 'Big Mac' McLeod

Operation: Armed recce

Date: 25th December 1944 (Monday)

Unit: 66 Squadron (132 Wing, 84 Group)

Type: Spitfire LF.XVI

Serial: SM211

Coded: LZ-?

Base: B79 ALG (Advanced Landing Ground)

Location: De Steeg near Dieren Holland

Pilot: P/O ‘Big Mac’ Ian Douglas McLeod NZ/42429 RNZAF Age 23. Killed.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took-off from B79, (Woensdrecht) in the Netherlands for armed recce, at 08:30 hrs.

3 Aircraft taking part in the staffing attack, on an ammunition train between De Steeg and Dieran. Two peeled away whilst P/O. McLeod returned for a second pass - he was hit by the anti-aircraft fire seconds before the train blew up. He crashed in a field at 09:15 hrs next to the main street of Parallelweg in De Steeg.

Above area of operations and below P/O. McLeod and grave at Rheden General Cemetery, Netherlands. (courtesy of his family)


BURIAL DETAILS:

P/O. Ian Douglas McLeod, Rheden General Cemetery, Netherlands (Heiderust) Grave 9. Son of Alexander McLeod and of Catherine McLeod (née Ogilvie), of Dunsdale, Southland, New Zealand. Total of 665 flying hours logged and on his 72nd operational sortie.

The book Spitfire Diary, written by Ted Smith ISBN: 9780718306922 describes some of his combats within the squadron.

Also, the research publications by Errol Martyn ISBN:0473 063107 covering RNZAF losses from 1943 - 1998. Volume 1 covers 1915 - 1942 ISBN: 978-0473052638 and the final volume III Biographies and Appendices including updates on previous two volumes.ISBN:9780473128289 Published by Volplane Press.


Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
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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