Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Reconnaissance Squadron group of five to Squadron Leader G.R. Macdonald, Royal Air Force, late R.N.Z.A.F.

1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS, with M.I.D. oak leaf; NEW ZEALAND SERVICE MEDAL, together with N.Z. Memorial Cross (S/Ldr.) in case of issue, extremely fine (6)

Sold with original Flying log book, covering flying training in New Zealand in October 1938 through to operational service with No. 236 Squadron in October 1942; Mention in Despatches certificate (dated 11 June 1942); and Buckingham Palace memorial scroll.

Squadron Leader G.R. Macdonald commenced pilot training at Wigram F.T.S., New Zealand in October 1938, qualifying for his Wings the following December after considerable experience on Vildebeest aircraft, a machine which the celebrated Peter Townsend would later describe 'as ugly as its namesake'.

In June 1939 he was posted to No.48 Squadron at Eastchurch in England and, with the exception of short periods of attachment to No's 206, 502, 233 and 244 Squadrons, he remained with this unit until early 1942. As his Flying log book confirms, Macdonald subsequently carried out no less than 300 operational convoy or anti-submarine sorties, either in Anson or Hudson aircraft, a truly impressive total of operational hours, even by Coastal Command standards. His log makes mention of a number of incidents:

15 April 1940: 'Convoy: Flew Home on One Engine, 45 Mins.

14 July 1940: 'Ambassador. Guernsey, Severe Tracer Pom Pom.'

26 August 1940: 'A/S Patrol: Bombed U Boat. Bombs Failed to Explode. 5 Yard Error.'

12 July 1941: 'Convoy: Bombed. Oil Patch.'

7 January 1942: 'Night Raid on Bergen. 600 Ton Ship Attacked. 2A/C Missing.'

He was finally rested in January 1942, when posted to No. 6 Operational Training Unit at Thornaby. Then in September he was posted to No. 2 O.T.U. where he converted to Beaufighters and by the middle of the month he was back on operations with No. 236 Squadron. His log records a number of operations:

19 September 1942: 'Strike off Ameland. Nil Sighted.'

20 September 1942: 'Recco. Ymuiden-Texel. Sighted Convoy. 9 MV's 2 EV's.'

8 October 1942: 'Recco. Borkum-Terschilling. Attacked 2 E Boats. Many Hits.'

And so Macdonald's log proceeds, by way of further visits to Borkum, Terschilling and Texel, until 18 October 1942 with the entry, 'Recco.' His fate remains unresearched. A fine record which seems to warrant higher recognition than an M.I.D.