McKAY, Allan Charles
NAME McKAY Allan Charles
RANK Flying Officer / Bombadier 21537 SQUADRON RAF No. 619 Squadron
Group 5 RAF Bomber Command
Woodhall Spa Airfield in Lincolnshire
Squadron Markings PG W Born January 20, 1917 - Brussels - Grey / Morris Townships - County of Huron Residence Toronto - Ontario
Died September 30, 1943 26 years 8 months
Cemetery Cambridge City Cemetery - Cambridge - Cambridgeshire - England
13525
Parents Hugh and Janet McKay - Brussels Brothers Archie was serving overseas with the Canadian forces Duncan lived on the family homestead Sister Mrs. Florence McNaught - Fergus - Ontario
Allan was born on January 20, 1917 in Brussels. He and his family were United and would have attended Brussels United Church. Growing up he enjoyed softball, swimming and skating. He took his public schooling at Avon Public School 1922-1931, his high school at Stratford High School 1931-1933. He ;eft school at the age of 19 after completing two years. Then a few years later in 1936 he took a course with the Shaw Business School.
He was employed as a farmer, road worker, trucker’s helper and a miner with Hollinger Mining Company in Timmins for three years until the autumn of 1941. At that time he took a Pilot Observer Course in Hamilton from November 1941 - February 1942.
Canada
As soon as he finished the course in Hamilton he enlisted into the RCAF on February 23, 1942. At this time he stood 5' 10" and weighed 155 pounds. He had a medium complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. He was given the rank of Aircraftsmen 2. He was at the Manning Depot until July 6 at which time he was posted to No. 5 Initial Training School in Belleville and while here he was 62 out of a class of 80 and received 81%. Prior to leaving here he was given the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. On August 31 he was posted to No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School in Jarvis - Ontario and was 2nd in a class of 15 with a 76%. The next posting took him to No. 8 Air Observer School in L'Ancienne-Lorette in Quebec. While here he was 22 out of a class of 24 with a 74% average. Before leaving here he received the rank of Sergeant. On December 4, 1942 Sergeant McKay was on appointment to a commission - Special Reserve. At the end of the year he was Taken on Service at No. 1 Y Depot. On the 4th of January 1943 he volunteered for the RAF Training Pool and that same day he embarked from the port of Halifax for overseas and eight days later disembarked in the United Kingdom on January 12. One day later he reported to RAF No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre based at Bournemouth - Dorset. Sergeant McKay was here until March 9 at which time he was assigned to RAF No. 9 Advanced Flying Unit for a short period before being posted to RAF No. 16 Operational Training Unit at Upper Heyford - Oxfordshire. He did his training on the Wellington bomber. While here he received the rank of Pilot Officer. His next posting on July 6 sent him to No. 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Swinderby in Lincolnshire where they trained on four engine aircraft. PO McKay was then posted to RAF 619 Squadron on September 18, 1943 and was based at RAF Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire. The target for this mission of September 29/30 was Bochum in Germany. It was a strategic target because of its iron, coal and steel industries.Lancaster ED 983 lifted off the runway at 18:21 hours and had a total of 199 hours of flying time. Lancaster ED 983 had reached the target safely and completed its bomb run and was on the return leg and on the way back they encountered very heavy fog. They had been ordered to begin a descent through cloud before they crossed the English Coast and then to cross the coast below the cloud but not to fly lower than 1,000 feet. Some of the instructions were not given to the crew. The aircraft was 2 miles ene of Scamblesby which is 6 miles north of Horncastle. The cloud was 5/10th and the visibility was approximately 2,000 yards. The winds at this point were very light and out of the wsw at 5mph. There was no moon, they were in fog and no horizon was visible all of this made for a very dark night. The lights of the base would not have been visible until within at least 8 miles and the “GEE” had not worked in the aircraft the complete mission. The pilot felt that he was close to base and began to circle and descend very slowly. He did not talk on the radio as another aircraft was talking at that time. F/O McKay was the Bombadier for this mission and he would have been in the nose of the aircraft. When they were 30 miles from the base that crashed at 00:05 and the aircraft partially burned. F/O McKay suffered fatal multiple injuries. The aircraft flew into high ground at the Maidenwall Farm, Warren, Caldwell Hill in Lincolnshire at 00:05 hours. PO McKay had only been with the squadron for 12 days and his funeral was held with full military honours at 11 am on September 30, 1943. Pilot Officer McKay was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Medal, the Defence Medal, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp. His mother received the Memorial Cross in December 1944 and his Operational Wings in July 1946. Allan is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, on the Brussels cenotaph, on the Stratford High School Memorial plaque and on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial.
