Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Squadron Leader G. R. MacDonald, Nos. 48 and 236 Squadrons, Coastal Command, a New Zealand pilot who was killed when his Beaughfighter crashed in October 1942
1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D.; New Zealand War Service Medal, together with New Zealand Memorial Cross, G.VI.R. (R.A.F. 36191 S/Ldr. G. R. MacDonald) in case of issue; portrait photograph; M.I.D. certificate; Memorial Scroll, and the recipient’s R.N.Z.A.F. Flying Log Book for the period October 1938 to October 1942, good very fine (6)

The recipient trained in New Zealand at Wigram FTS and gained his Flying Badge in December 1938. He remained at Wigram until June 1939 when he was posted to No. 48 (G.R.) Squadron at Eastchurch flying Ansons. He flew his first operational anti-submarine patrol a few days after the outbreak of war, on 9 September, 1939, the start of a long and busy period of such duties. In January 1942 he was posted to No. 6 OTU, having converted to Hudsons the previous August and amassed an impressive total of 296 operational sorties with 48 Squadron. These were, for the most part, anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols and included attacks on U-boats and enemy merchant vessels. His time with No. 6 OTU was non-operational with the exception of the 1,000 Bomber raid on Bremen, when he was pilot of a Hudson on 25 June. After a conversion course on Beaughfighters, he joined No. 236 Squadron on 14 September 1942, and flew another six sorties including an attack on 2 E-boats on 8 October. On the 20th October Squadron Leader MacDonald took off in Beaufighter “V” for a local flight over the aeordrome at North Coates, with Flying Officer Kerr as his passenger. In unexplained circumstances the aircraft crashed on the beach near the aerodrome and burnt out, killing both MacDonald and Kerr. Shortly before the crash, both elevators were seen to fall from the aircraft.