LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Donald John Brebner MacKAY
Service No: 419613
Born: Melbourne VIC, 2 February 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 September 1942
Unit: No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF), RAF Station Bibury
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft V3592), Gloucestershire, 26 November 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Donald and Effie Christina Mackay, of Kooyong, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Malvern VIC
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1020 hours on 26 November 1943, Oxford V3592 took off from Bibury detailed to carry out dual instruction in circuits and landings and overshoots. At about 1100 hours, the aircraft was noticed approaching the airfield at Bibury with its starboard engine stopped, and in a position to make a glide approach. The aircraft was sinking in the glide and was obviously very near stall. At about 300 feet, the port engine was opened up, and almost immediately the starboard wing stalled, the aircraft went into a vertical dive and hit the ground and both Pilots were killed. An Inquiry into the accident found that: “the accident was an error of judgement by the Pilot in allowing the speed of the aircraft to be reduced almost to stalling during the approach.”
The crew members of V3592 were:
Pilot Officer John Cunningham (150256) (RAFVR) (Instructor Pilot)
Sergeant Donald John Brebner MacKay (419613) (Pilot under instruction)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/26/299