LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Hector Cairns McKENZIE
Service No: 400934
Born: Echuca VIC, 9 June 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 November 1940
Unit: No. 73 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 73 Operational Training Unit Tomahawk aircraft AB248), Egypt, 13 March 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Moascar War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Hector Thomas McKenzie and Mary Sinclair McKenzie, of Echuca, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Sergeant Duncan John McKenzie (400283)
On the13 March 1943, Tomahawk AB248 took off from RAF Ismailia on a non-operational day training flight and crashed at 1135 hours two miles north of the aerodrome and the pilot was killed.
Two pilots under conversion were ordered to carry out “dog fighting” practice at 10,000 feet. For some reason best known to themselves, they carried it out at 2,000 feet, with the result that Flying Officer McKenzie executed a steep left hand turn, spun in and was killed. It was considered that the accident was due to the gross disobedience of orders. Details for the second pilot are unavailable.
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, 166/26/56