LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Douglas Leslie McGREGOR

Service No: 400725
Born: Euroa VIC, 18 February 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 October 1940
Unit: No. 456 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 456 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft V8444), Irish Sea, 1 November 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Rupert Leslie and Edith McGregor; husband of Jean McGregor, of Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Moorabbin VIC
Remembered: Panel 110, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 1 November 1942, Beaufighter V8444 took off from RAF Station Valley, Wales, for a night training flight over the Irish Sea. The aircraft had been detailed to carry out a Ground Controlled Intercept practice. Each aircraft was to act as a target and as a fighter with V8444 taking its turn as the target. The weather was initially quite suitable for the exercise but later deteriorated with an electrical storm closing in. Pilot Officer Arthur Geoffrey Oxlade (400733) (Killed on Air Operations: 5 June 1944) saw V8444 apparently spin into the water and explode. His aircraft landed at 0253 hours.

The crew members of V8444 were:

Sergeant Leo Malachi McCormack (405183) (Navigator Radio)
Flying Officer Douglas Leslie McGregor (400725) (Pilot)

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, 163/47/158

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