LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant William Alexander MacKAY
Service No: 414624
Born: Southport QLD, 8 July 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 October 1941
Unit: 63rd Bomber Squadron (USAAF)
Died: Air Operations: (63rd Bomber Squadron Flying Fortress aircraft 41-24543), New Britain, 30 June 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: St Louis (Jefferson Barracks) National Cemetery, Missouri, USA
CWGC Additional Information: Husband of Irene Christina Mackay, of Wooroolin, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 29 June 1943, Flying Fortress 41-24543 took off at 1600 hours from Jackson Field, Port Moresby, to proceed to Dobodura. It took off from Dobodura at 0130 hours on 30 June 1943, detailed to carry out a bombing mission against Vanakanua, near Rabaul, New Britain. F41-24543 was one of five aircraft detailed to attack the target during the night independently of each other. 41-24543 failed to return from the mission, and subsequent searches failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft or crew. In 1947, the wreck of the aircraft and remains of the crew were found on the Mandres Plantation, Ataliklikum Bay, west of Rabaul.
The crew members of Flying Fortress 41-24543 were:
First Lieutenant Harold Sylvester Barnett (O-421584) (USAAF) (Pilot)
Second Lieutenant Sidney S Bossuk (O-727694) (USAAF) (Co-Pilot)
Second Lieutenant James G Burke (O-669983) (USAAF) (Bombardier)
Sergeant Robert A Burtis (12033755) (USAAF) (Gunner)
Sergeant James B Candy (18064952) (USAAF) (Gunner)
Sergeant Donald W Carlson (17038206) (USAAF) (Gunner)
Sergeant Philip J Lohnes (69300892) (USAAF) (Gunner)
Sergeant William Alexander Mackay (414624) (Wireless Air Gunner / Radar Counter Measures Operator))
Second Lieutenant Warren V Seybert (O-734614) (USAAF) (Navigator)
Technical Sergeant Anthony H Woillard (17075312) (USAAF) (Flight Engineer)
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 A 705, 166/26/169
PacificWrecks.com Website
Bibliography:
Nelmes, M.V. (Michael) Tocumwal to Tarakan: Australians and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1994