Treble one
22nd Mar 2014, 18:02
Very sad to hear of the passing of Neil (Mac) peacefully at home.
Although brought up in South Africa (with Scottish roots), both Neil and his brother joined up (from reserved occupations) at the start of WWII.
Both went into flying training, Neil on fighters, his brother onto bombers.
Neil was seriously hurt in an accident just before the end of his flying training, which meant he missed the Battle of Britain, unlike some of his well known contemporaries (he knew 'Sailor' Malan for example). He completed his flying training and was then posted to instruct on the Harvard.
After this tour, he wanted to get on the front line, and to his good luck, his ex CO at his FTS was now in charge of SAAF postings. He was posted to 40 Sqn SAAF in the FR role.
During his first tour, he flew the Hurricane in the desert supporting Army operations. Attrition in both aircraft and personnel was high, and the tour lasted 18 months. After his first tour, he volunteered for a second tour immediately because 'he was a bit bored at the thought of flying training'.
His second tour saw him supporting the push through Italy. His second DFC was awarded near the end of the war for low level photography of a viaduct in Northern Italy. His first attempt resulted in a wrecked Spitfire and damaged camera. So on his return, they wheeled out another Spitfire and new camera and told him to go and do it again. he did, and returned with a riddled Spitfire and an intact camera!
Mac ended up in Austria at the end of the war and was promoted to acting Major, and flew with 40 sqn until the end of the war. One of his colleagues on the squadron was Bob Rogers, who in later life became chief of the SADF.
Neil was offered a commission in the RAF after the war , and took this up. he was posted back to Rhodesia (I think) for another flying training tour, and eventually came back to the UK where he was posted as CO of an EFTS near Cardiff. He had his first flight in a jet (a Vampire) after around 800 hours on Spitfires. He persuaded the CO of the Aux squadron on the base to let him have a flight, and armed with the pilots notes, he fired the aeroplane up and had a spin!
After that my recollections of his story gets a little foggy. He was posted to FC HQ at Bentley Priory where he served in accident investigation. Indeed, he became accident investigation officer, and was tasked to sort out the 'Phantom Diver' phenomenon that so affected the Meteor. His boss at FCHQ was John Grandy.
He was posted to 79 Sqn in Germany as CO and oversaw the conversion of the squadron from Meteors to the Swift FR5. One of his JP's was a young man called Ray Hannah. Mac, incidentally, was always effusive in his praise of Ray's flying ability, despite the odd scrape that Ray managed to get him into! There's a picture of Mac taking delivery of 79's first Swift in Nigel Walpole's 'Swift Justice'.
Neil was then posted to more flying training positions including CFS, and gained an A1 Instructor rating.
Neil left the RAF, with only one regret-he never managed a spin in a Lightning, despite his best efforts. He retired with around 5000 hours in many different types.
He went into business, and I was privileged to meet him in his role as a volunteer at IWM Duxford. I was fortunate enough to spend many hours chatting to him. Being typical of his generation, he didn't like to talk about his wartime experiences, but gradually he opened up a little, and hence I am able to tell his story.
An incredibly modest, brave and generous man, with a glint in his eye, he leaves many of his colleagues at Duxford much the richer for knowing him.
Deepest condolences to Jill and his family.
Although brought up in South Africa (with Scottish roots), both Neil and his brother joined up (from reserved occupations) at the start of WWII.
Both went into flying training, Neil on fighters, his brother onto bombers.
Neil was seriously hurt in an accident just before the end of his flying training, which meant he missed the Battle of Britain, unlike some of his well known contemporaries (he knew 'Sailor' Malan for example). He completed his flying training and was then posted to instruct on the Harvard.
After this tour, he wanted to get on the front line, and to his good luck, his ex CO at his FTS was now in charge of SAAF postings. He was posted to 40 Sqn SAAF in the FR role.
During his first tour, he flew the Hurricane in the desert supporting Army operations. Attrition in both aircraft and personnel was high, and the tour lasted 18 months. After his first tour, he volunteered for a second tour immediately because 'he was a bit bored at the thought of flying training'.
His second tour saw him supporting the push through Italy. His second DFC was awarded near the end of the war for low level photography of a viaduct in Northern Italy. His first attempt resulted in a wrecked Spitfire and damaged camera. So on his return, they wheeled out another Spitfire and new camera and told him to go and do it again. he did, and returned with a riddled Spitfire and an intact camera!
Mac ended up in Austria at the end of the war and was promoted to acting Major, and flew with 40 sqn until the end of the war. One of his colleagues on the squadron was Bob Rogers, who in later life became chief of the SADF.
Neil was offered a commission in the RAF after the war , and took this up. he was posted back to Rhodesia (I think) for another flying training tour, and eventually came back to the UK where he was posted as CO of an EFTS near Cardiff. He had his first flight in a jet (a Vampire) after around 800 hours on Spitfires. He persuaded the CO of the Aux squadron on the base to let him have a flight, and armed with the pilots notes, he fired the aeroplane up and had a spin!
After that my recollections of his story gets a little foggy. He was posted to FC HQ at Bentley Priory where he served in accident investigation. Indeed, he became accident investigation officer, and was tasked to sort out the 'Phantom Diver' phenomenon that so affected the Meteor. His boss at FCHQ was John Grandy.
He was posted to 79 Sqn in Germany as CO and oversaw the conversion of the squadron from Meteors to the Swift FR5. One of his JP's was a young man called Ray Hannah. Mac, incidentally, was always effusive in his praise of Ray's flying ability, despite the odd scrape that Ray managed to get him into! There's a picture of Mac taking delivery of 79's first Swift in Nigel Walpole's 'Swift Justice'.
Neil was then posted to more flying training positions including CFS, and gained an A1 Instructor rating.
Neil left the RAF, with only one regret-he never managed a spin in a Lightning, despite his best efforts. He retired with around 5000 hours in many different types.
He went into business, and I was privileged to meet him in his role as a volunteer at IWM Duxford. I was fortunate enough to spend many hours chatting to him. Being typical of his generation, he didn't like to talk about his wartime experiences, but gradually he opened up a little, and hence I am able to tell his story.
An incredibly modest, brave and generous man, with a glint in his eye, he leaves many of his colleagues at Duxford much the richer for knowing him.
Deepest condolences to Jill and his family.