LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Donald McCONACHIE
Service No: 404109
Born: Nambour QLD, 27 June 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 May 1940
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Scampton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 83 Squadron Manchester aircraft L7456), Germany, 25 March 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Heverlee War Cemetery, Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Jessie McConachie, of Windsor, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2026 hours on the night of 25 March 1942 Manchester L7465 took off from Scampton detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A 1947 Missing Research and Enquiry team report stated: “The aircraft crashed in the village of Lichtaart situated about 20 miles east of Antwerp, Belgium. It was believed that the aircraft was shot down by flak or a night fighter.” All the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of L7465 were:
Pilot Officer Christopher Hugh Danielsen (62702) (RAF) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Alan Gordon Jaye (1043669) (RAFVR) (Mid Gunner)
Sergeant Paul Markides (778497) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Donald McConachie (404109) (Observer)
Sergeant Thomas Henry Miller (514426) (RAF) (Second Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Colin Clement Smith (1181165) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Albert Woodcock (654156) (RAF) (First Wireless Operator)
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, 163/47/116