Donald William McLeod
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Object Number - UPL 18668 - [L-R] Sgt John J "Jack" Mooney and P/O Donald W "Mac" McLeod at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey 28-11-41.
Joined RAFVR, service pilot training, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training, assigned to 121 Sqn, Malta via A/C carrier HMS Eagle, assigned to 126 Sqn, shot down 2 April 1942 in Spitfire Mk Vb[T] AB335, WIA, flown to Egypt to ferry Hurricane back to Malta, 21 April 42, posted to 53 OTU Llandow as instructor, 31 July 1942, transferred to the USAAF 23 September 1942 as Captain, posted to 4th FS, 52nd FG at Goxhill on 9 October 1942, arrived at Gibraltar, 6 November 1942, leading 4FS to Oran N. Africa - instruments all u/s, flew back to "Gib" lost 5 pilots, 2 OK, 3 interned in French Morocco.
Spent 2 weeks in Algiers awaiting orders, sent home to the USA to rest.
Posted back to Europe with 83rd FS, 78FG, shot down, crashed near Argentan on 10 Jun 44 in P-47 42-76505, evaded capture (EVD) helped by the French resistance.
Survived the war but on 22 Sept. 1946 he died, apparently of the injuries he received when he was shot down.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 78th Fighter Group 83rd Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: "Duckpond"
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Blackstone, MA | 21 April 1914 | Son of Daniel & Wilhelmina L [Crowley] McLeod. |
|
Other Shipped overseas |
Merseyside, UK | 22 July 1941 | Shipped overseas to ETO. Left on a "steamer" from Montreal. |
|
Other Operational training |
Great Britain, United Kingdom | 11 August 1941 | Operational training at OTU. Conversion to Hurricane and Spitfires. |
|
Other Volunteered for defense of Malta |
Gibraltar | 27 February 1942 - 11 March 1942 | Shipped out to Malta via Gibraltar. |
|
Other Flew Spitfire from Eagle to Malta |
Midway Algeirs to Palma | 12 March 1942 - 21 March 1942 | From 'Gib' to Malta via A/C carrier HMS Eagle. |
|
Other Assigned |
Malta | 21 March 1942 | Assigned to 126 Sqn RAF.3 |
|
Other Shot down WIA |
Malta | 2 April 1942 | Met raid as a four ship flight, outnumbered 6 to 1. Shot down in Spitfire Mk Vb[T] AB335, WIA. With cannon fragments to his left arm and leg, he parachuted from 800 ft, in the process of the chute opening, the straps broke his neck. |
|
Other Ferried A/C |
Egypt | 21 April 1942 | Flown to Egypt to ferry Hurricane back to Malta, 21 April 42. |
|
Other Posted 53 OTU |
Llandow, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan CF71, UK | 31 July 1942 | Posted to 53 OTU as instructor, 31 July 1942. |
|
Other Transferred |
23 September 1942 | Transferred to the USAAF 23 September 1942 as Captain. | |
|
Other Shipped overseas |
Gibraltar | 24 October 1942 - 6 November 1942 | Arrived at Gibraltar via SS Liester from Greenock Scotland, 6 November 1942. |
|
Other Abortive re-deployment |
Gibraltar | 7 November 1942 | Leading 4th FS to Oran N. Africa - instruments all u/s, flew back to "Gib" lost 5 pilots, 2 OK, 3 interned in French Morocco. |
|
Other Hurry up and wait |
Algiers, Algeria | 8 November 1942 - 22 November 1942 | Spent 2 weeks in Algiers awaiting orders. |
|
Other Rest leave |
United States | 23 November 1942 | Sent home to the USA to rest. |
|
Other Shot down EVD |
Argentan, France | 10 June 1944 | Shot down, crashed near Argentan on 10 Jun 44 in P-47 42-76505, evaded capture (EVD) helped by the French resistance. |
|
Died |
Connecticut | 22 September 1946 | Survived the war but on 22-Sep-46 he died undergoing surgery, apparently on the injuries he received when he was shot down. |
|
Other Joined RAFVR |
Canada | Joined Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. | |
|
Other Service pilot training |
Burbank, CA, USA | Service pilot training, Polaris Flight Academy in Burbank, CA. | |
|
Other Assigned |
Kirton in Lindsey, Gainsborough, North Lincolnshire DN21, UK | 26 February 1942 | Assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF. |
|
Other Posted to ETO |
Duxford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22, UK | Posted back to ETO with 83rd FS, 78FG. |
Revisions
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3589
http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/mcleod/
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3589
http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/mcleod/
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3589
http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/mcleod/
EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3589
http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/mcleod/
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 5582
