Odd Bod Allan McDonald passed away on the 19th
December 2015. Following is an extract from the Geelong Advertiser about Allan’s
wartime service.
Allan McDonald Jnr served with Royal Air Force Bomber Command
158 Squadron, the only Australian in his seven-strong crew in a Halifax Mark
III christened Blondie.
He was navigator for 37
missions — 19 guided by the stars, 18 guided by the sun — and was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross for his courage and clarity following a hit over
Duisburg which took out an engine and sent a propeller carving a gaping hole in
the side of the aircraft.
His citation read: “This
officer went to the assistance of the wounded wire operator and gave valuable
aid to his captain. This efficiency and determination did much to extract the
crew from the desperate situation.
“Flight officer
McDonald’s courage and keenness to fly against the enemy have always been
outstanding.”
He reflected on his war
experiences for the Geelong Advertiser in 2013.
“It’s hard to believe it
all when you look back now, to think you went through all that and survived,”
he said.
Our sympathy goes out to the McDonald family.
No comments:
Post a Comment