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MacDonald, Harry Burns DFC (Flight Lieutenant)

Survived 1942-July-14

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Birth Date: 1915-May-29 (age 27)

Home: Sackville, New Brunswick

Decorations: DFC


Distinguished Service Cross
Service
RCAF
Unit
35 Sqn- Squadron
Base
Linton-on-Ouse
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/15644

35 Madras Presidency Squadron (Uno animo agimus) RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Halifax II aircraft W 7761 TL-N, on a sortie to Duisburg, Germany was unable to release their bombs due to malfunction in the release mechanism. The bomb load included a 4000 LB "Cookie" bomb. They turned for home, tried unsuccessfully to release their bombs again over the North Sea. Back over England and with few options, the aircraft was abandoned after which it rolled on its back and the "Cookie" broke free. The bomber crashed and bomb exploded, with no civilian injuries on the ground

Sergeant HB MacDonald (RCAF), Pilot Officer J Baker (RAF), Sergeant E Whitter (RAF), Sergeant JR Ely (RAF), Pilot Officer GF Freedman (RAF) and Sergeant JE Jones (RAF) survived for a second time with no injuries. This same crew had survived the crash landing in a cross wind in 35 Squadron Halifax II W 1159 without injury two weeks earlier, on June 22, 1943

General Aviation Safety Network

General Halifax W7761 (13/07/42) I No. 35 Squadron

General Search Awards I Royal Canadian Air Force Association

Home
Google MapSackville, New Brunswick
Target
Google MapDuisburg Germany

Halifax W7761

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Flight Lieutenant MacDonald, Harry Burns (RCAF)
Pilot
Survived
1942-July-14
cemetery unknown

Previous Events

1942-June-22 Flight Lieutenant Survived

Halifax B.Mk.II

35 B Sqn RAF

35 Madras Presidency Squadron (Uno animo agimus) RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Halifax II aircraft W 1159, after an non-operational air test , landing in a cross wind, swung off runway. The tailwheel was torn off, the aircraft ground looped and the starboard undercarriage collapsed

Sergeant HB MacDonald (RCAF), Pilot Officer J Baker (RAF), Sergeant E Whitter (RAF), Sergeant JR Ely (RAF), Pilot Officer GF Freedman (RAF) and Sergeant JE Jones (RAF) survived to fly together again

this same crew would survive another event without injury

Male Head

Flight Lieutenant MacDonald, Harry Burns (RCAF)
Pilot
Survived
1942-June-22
cemetery unknown

Handley Page Halifax

(RAF Photo, 1942)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)A Royal Air Force Handley Page Halifax Mk. II Series I (Serial No. W7676), coded TL-P, of No. 35 Squadron, RAF, based at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire in the UK, being piloted by Flight Lieutenant Reginald Lane, (later Lieutenant-General, RCAF), over the English countryside. Flt Lt Lane and his crew flew twelve operations in W7676, which failed to return from a raid on Nuremberg on the night of 28/29 August 1942, when it was being flown by Flt Sgt D. John and crew.

The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.

The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry's Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use." The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its maiden flight, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of Bomber Command, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis Powers, many of them at night. Arthur Harris, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster (in part due to its smaller payload) though this opinion was not shared by many of the crews that flew it, particularly for the MkIII variant. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other Allied and Commonwealth nations, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Free French Air Force and Polish forces. Wikipedia

YouTube Halifax Heavy Bomber WWII

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Halifax Bomber

Museum National Air Force Museum of Canada

last update: 2023-12-08 20:34:11

Halifax B.Mk.II W7761

Bombs hung up on return from ops, crew abandonned aircraft over Knaresborough, aircraft flew over Harrowsgate before releasing bombs of its own accordseconds before crash, 14.7.42
Unit 35

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