Air Force Lookups - if you need help

[bleckie]

Hi All

Can anyone tell me anything about the following person

986700 Sergeant  James McDonald McKinnie

Died 1st March 1943  RAF VR

Yours Aye
BruceL

[dillonking]

McKINNIE, JAMES MCDONALD
Rank:Sergeant
Service No:986700
Date of Death:01/03/1943
Age:21
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave ReferenceGrave 413.
CemeteryMUTHILL CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of John and Isabella M. McKinnie, of Muthill.
I hope this helps you. I found my pilot here it is in the War Graves Commission

[didactylos]

I am getting nowhere despite getting my father's records. Can anyone fill in any details or point me where to look regarding what he was 'up to' in these squadrons and at these times?

Squadron 2780 02/04/1943 until....
Squadron 2876 20/07/1943 until....
Squadron 2715 02/12/1944 until....

17 Nov 1945 ACSEA 31st Maintenance Unit, then India Command

During this period he is AC2 and moved to LAC as a rank, but suddenly in 30 April 1953 he's made a Flt Lt and his service ends in 28/04/1956.

He looks to have been a motor mechanic with anti aircraft defence units but I'd love to know where they were and when, and what went on after the war to get him a commission and postings to Cyprus and Aden at times when things were a little 'hot' in these places?

He also had two periods in hospitals, is there any way I could get to those records?

Long shots I know, but this is all very intriguing. One 'story' is that he may have been involved in the discovery of one of the concentration camps..... he died many years ago and never spoke of any of this to me - at the time a young boy.

[bleckie]

Hi dillonking

Thank you i had all that info I obtained that from memorial stone at Muthill.

I was perhaps looking for a bit more info Ops where he died etc.

Yours Aye
BruceL

[msimp]

Hi Bruce,
From W.R.Chorley 'Bomber Command Losses' volume 7,covering losses in Operational Training Units,page 204,comes the following;
28/2-1/3/43, 29 O.T.U.,Wellington III Z1666,operation 'Nickel' (leaflet dropping).
Sgt.J.E.Ford,
Sgt.A.W.Gillespie,
Sgt.W.A.Champion,
Sgt.V.P.Thompson,
Sgt.J.McD.McKinnie,
(probably listed in the order, from top to bottom;pilot,navigator,bomb aimer,wireless operator and air gunner.)
Took off 1652 North Luffenham and is assumed to have carried out a successful duty.However,while returning to base it is strongly believed that an electrical fault occurred,leaving the crew without communications.Flying above cloud,the captain was left with two options;abandon the Wellington,or descend through cloud cover in an attempt to establish their position.Sgt.Ford chose the latter and at around 0200 the Wellington smashed into the side of a hill at Widdington Farm,Rushall,near Upavon airfield in Wiltshire and disintegrated.All rest in various cemeteries within the U.K..
Regards,Mark Simpson.

[bleckie]

Hi Mark

Thanks a lot from memory his stone in Muthill mentioned he was a gunner? I will check my photo's when I get home.

Once again many thanks from a gratefull ex Rock

Yours Aye
BruceL

[Noandra]

Thank you so much for your offer. I am trying to find out all I can on Albert Edward MOORE RAF #1435648, he enlisted in June 1941. He was born in Townsville, Australia on 23-2-1918.
Family information says that he left Australia for England and joined the RAF as he could not get into the RAAF. He married in London in 1942 and returned and died in  Australia.
I cannot find any Australian military records for him.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[archie_hami]

F/0 James "Jimmy" Archibald
(I'm his grandson and replacement)
He was indeed captured post the crash of PB253
He survived the war and ultimately had two sons and a daughter.
I feel that he never forgave himself for surviving the crash/failing to protect his crew.
My parents(David and Ann) have visited the crash site in Renauvoid.
I would deeply appreciate any pictures of Grandad and his crew and aircraft.

[archie_hami]

F/0 James "Jimmy" Archibald
(I'm his grandson and replacement)
He was indeed captured post the crash of PB253
He survived the war and ultimately had two sons and a daughter.
I feel that he never forgave himself for surviving the crash/failing to protect his crew.
My parents(David and Ann) have visited the crash site in Renauvoid.
I would deeply appreciate any pictures of Grandad and his crew and aircraft.