LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Walter McDONALD
Service No: 414419
Born: Mareeba QLD, 29 March 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1941
Unit: No. 161 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Tempsford
Died: Air Operations: (No. 161 Squadron Lysander aircraft V9822), France, 11 February 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Farges-en-Septaine Communal Cemetery, Cher, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Rosina McDonald, husband of Daphne Hazel McDonald, of Holland Park, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2140 hours on the night of 10 February 1944 Lysander V9822 took off from Tempsford detailed to carry out a Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) mission Operation Serbie, and set course for France. The aircraft overshot the landing strip twice and on the third approach, touched down at high speed and overturned, bursting into flames near Farges-en-Septaine (Cher), 18kms east of Bourges.
The crew members of V9822 were:
Agent W Josset
Agent J Lacroix
Flying Officer John Walter McDonald (414419) (Pilot)
Agent Lacroix was badly burnt, but following medical attention was returned to England in less than a month. Agent Josset is believed to have escaped unhurt.
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 A9300, MCDONALD J W