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R.C.A.F. 2081 Squadron Leader Roger Meridith MACE. 12848 Vol 1 Ma-McW Widow: Mrs M.M Mace of DUNEDIN. Mother: Mrs. T.E. Mace of CHRISTCHURCH.
Roger Mace was born of N.Z. parents at Emu Bay, Tasmania, Australia, on February 7th 1914 and received his secondary education at the Hutchins School, Hobart, up to Matriculation standard. He attended the University of Tasmania from 1932 to 1935, obtaining a degree in Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering. At the outbreak of the War he was employed by an engineering firm in British Columbia where he had been for 3 years.
Squadron Leader Mace was enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Trail, British Colombia, on May 24th 1940, in the rank of Pilot Officer. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on June 15th 1941 and further promoted to Squadron Leader on November 1st 1943. Meanwhile after a short period at Air Force Headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario, he had been posted to No. 1 Manning Depot, Toronto, in June 1940. Further postings included Aeronautical Engineering School, Montreal, Quebec, in July; Nos. 2 and 3 Bombing and Gunnery Schools, at Mossbank and Macdonald in December, 1940 and March 1941, No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School, Paulson, Manitoba, in January, 1942; Conversion Training School, Rockliff, Ontario, in November, 1942 and the Development Establishment, Rockliffe in December 1942. On February 14th 1944 he proceeded to the Embarkation Depot, Lachine, Quebec for transfer to the United Kingdom.
On his arrival in England Squadron Leader Mace was attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force Headquarters, being posted on March 13th to Royal Air Force Station, Boscombe Down.
Squadron Leader Mace was the pliot of a Lancaster aircraft which crashed 3/4 mile west of Long Marston, Warwickshire on December 16th 1944, both the pilot and the other occupant being killed in the accident.
Squadron Leader Mace was buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
4/9/154 A.S.2. No Log Book
Mrs M.M. Mace (W) (right aligned) Swift Current (right aligned) Saskatchewan (right aligned) CANADA (right aligned)
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JN/NF (right aligned)
402557 : Flight Sergeant John Duncan Duthie MACKIE. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. D.D. Mackie of Wellington.
John Mackie was born at Auckland on the 26th May, 1921. His sports included football, and tennis. After leaving school he was employed on farms on work of a general nature, but for some time prior to his application for service in the R.N.Z.A.F. on the 19th March, 1940, had been employed as junior audit clerk by Messrs. Rowley, Gill, Hobbs & Glen, Public Accountants, Wellington.
Flight Sergeant Mackie was enlisted at R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Blenheim on the 10th July, 1940, and employed on ground duties. On the 17th March, 1941, he was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin, for training as aircrew, and on the 26th May he embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Shortly after arrival in Canada F/Sgt. Mackie was - on the 16th June, 1941 - posted to No. 3 Wireless School, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He proceeded to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School, MacDonald, Manitoba, on the 26th October. On the 25th November he returned to No. 3 Wireless School, where - on the 11th December - he was awarded his flying badge as an air gunner and promoted from LAC to the rank of Sergeant. He proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the 19th December, for embarkation to the United Kingdom.
F/Sgt Mackie arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 20th January. He was posted to No .12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden, Oxfordshire, on the 19th May, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft before proceeding on the 3rd September, 1942, to No. 35 Squadron, Rufforth, Yorkshire. At
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J.D. MACKIE. 2. (centre aligned)
the end of September he was posted to No. 158 (Bomber) Squadron, Driffield, Yorkshire. With this squadorn, as a membre of the crew of a Halifax bomber aircraft, he took part in 11 operational flights, the targets including Mannheim, Duisberg, Essen and Kiel, in Germany; Genoa (2), in Italy and Lorient and St. Nazaire, in Occupied France. In addition he took part in minelaying operations off the Frisian Islands in the Kattegat.
F/Sgt. Mackie was a member of the crew of a Halifax bomber which took off on air operations on the 28th April, 1943, and failed to return to its base, the result, it is presumed, of enemy action. F/Sgt Mackie and all the members of the crew were classified as missing. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 28th April, 1943.
5/3/13682 AS2 219 hrs. as aircrew.
Mr. D.D. Mackie (F) (right aligned) 148 Washington Avenue, (right aligned) WELLINGTON. (right aligned & underlined)
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JN/NF (right aligned) 413713 : Flight Lieutenant Sydney Colin Rive MACKIE. D.F.C. FATHER : Mr. S.F. Mackie of Auckland. MOTHER : Mrs M.I. Mackie of Devonport, Auckland.
Colin Mackie was born at Masterton on the 26th August, 1920. He received his secondary education at Takapuna Grammar School and after passing the Matriculation examination attended Auckland University College, where he completed the requirements for a Teacher's Certificate. He passed 2 subjects for his Bachelor of Arts Degree and sat for 2 further subjects in 1940. Both at school and at the Auckland Training College he was a member of the 1st fifteens and 1st elevens and he also took a keen interest in athletics, tennis, swimming, basketball and baseball. After leaving the University, and at the time of making application for service in the R.N.Z.A.F. - on the 6th July, 1940 - he was employed as a Probationary Assistant at the Stanley Bay School (Devonport).
Flight Lieutenant Mackie was enlisted on the 6th July, 1941, at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, for training as aircrew. He embarked for Canada on the 22nd September to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Shortly after arrival in Canada, F/Lt. Mackie was posted - on the 11th October, 1941 - to No. 7 Air Observers' School, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. On the 18th January, 1942, he was posted to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School, MacDonald, Manitoba, where - on the 28th February - he was awarded his air observer's flying badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st May, 1943, and received his commission in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 8th July, 1943. He was promote to Acting Flight Lieutenant on the 1st December, 1943.
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S.C.R. MACKIE. 2. (centre aligned)
On the 1st March, 1942, F/Lt. Mackie had been posted from the Bombing and Gunnery School, to No. 1 Air Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba, where he was remustered to air navigator. During April, 1942, he proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, for embarkation to the United Kingdom.
F/Lt. Mackie arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 13th May, 1942, and was posted to No. 2 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Millom, Cumberland, on the 15th June. He proceeded to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire, on the 18th August, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. In February, 1943, he proceed to No. 1652 Conversion Unit, Marston Moor, Yorkshire, for conversion to Halifax bomber aircraft, and after completing the course was posted late in February to No. 78 Squadron, Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. With this squadron, as a member of the crew of a Halifax bomber, he took part in 5 operational sorties, the targets being Duisberg, Berlin, Essen, and Kiel, in Germany and St. Nazaire, in Occupied France. F/Lt. Mackie was then posted on the 20th April, 1943, to No. 35 Squadron of the Pathfinder Force stationed at Graveley, Huntingdonshire. With this squadron he took part in a further 32 operational flights, the targets including Essen, Dortmund (2), Duisberg, Bochum, Munster, Cologne, Krefeld, Wuppertal, Aachen, Hamburg (3), Homburg, Mannheim (2), Nurnberg (2), Berlin (3), Munchen-Gladbach, Bremen, Lepzig, and Frankfurt, in Germany; Turin (2), in Italy, and MonteBeliard and Valenoiennes, in Occupied France.
In October, 1943, F/Lt. Mackie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the citation reading as follows:
"One night in September, 1943, Pilot Officer Mackie was navigator of an aircraft detailed to attack Mannheim. The operation demanded a high degree of skill and the success achieved reflects the greatest credit on the efforts of this member of the crew, who executed the task faultlessly. He had always taken part in many previous operations, and has always displayed courage, determination and devotion to duty of high order".