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S.C.R. MACKIE. 3. (centre aligned)
F/Lt. Mackie was navigator of a Halifax bomber which took off on an operational flight on the night of 20/21st December, 1943, to attack Frankfurt, in Germany. The aircraft failed to return to its base, and all the members of the crew, including F/Lt. Mackie, were classified as missing. Later information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that he had lost his life, and was buried at St. Trond, in Beligum. In consequence he was reclassified as missing, believed killed. Later his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 20th December, 1943.
The crew contained two other New Zealanders - F/Lt. J.N. Wright, D.F.C., of Masterton and P/O T.L. Robson, of Lincoln, Cantebury.
5/2/5564 AS2 619 hrs. as navigator.
Mrs. M.I. Mackie (M) (right aligned) 73 Vauxhall Road, (right aligned) Devonport, AUCKLAND. (right aligned & Auckland underlined)
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JC/NF
41521: Flight Lieutenant Brian Minden MADDEN. PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. J. Madden of Auckland.
Brian Madden was born at Wellington on the 2nd November, 1919. He was educated at the Otago Boys High School and at Wellington College, where he gained his University Entrance. He also studied at the Victoria University College, where he gained part of the LL.B. Degree. He was a keen athlete, playing for the second XV and the first XI at Wellington College. He also played rugby for the Victoria University and was a member of the Wellington College Old Boys Football Club. At the date of his entry into the Army in September, 1939, he was employed by Mazengarb, Hill and Macalister, Wellington as a law clerk.
He applied for aircrew training in December, 1939, but did not enter camp until January, 1941, whe he reported at the Ground Training School, Levin. He commenced his flying training at No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth on the 1st March, 1941. On completion of his training in New Zealand he proceeded to Canada in April for further training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
On arrival in Canada in May, 1941, he was posted to No. 32 Service Flying Training School, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for further training on Harvard aircraft. He was awarded his flying badge on the 8th August and promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 9th August. He was granted a commission in the rank of Pilot Officer the following day.
F/Lt. Madden embarked for the United Kingdom on the 25th August, 1941, arriving at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 22nd September, 1941. A few days later he commenced operational training on Miles Master and Hurricane aircraft at No. 59 Operational Training Unit, Crosby-on-Eden, Cumberland. On completion of the course in October he was posted to No. 56 (Punjab) Squadron, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, and was engaged on combat training for the next two months. On December 10, 1941, he
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made a flight in a Hawker Typhoon aircraft, being the first New Zealander to do so.
On the 8th February, 1942, he was detailed for a Convoy Liason trip between Sheerness in Kent and Rosyth in Fifeshire, embarking on the H.M.S. "Westminster" the same, and arriving at Rosyth the following Thursday. On Thursday night, 12th February, 1942, he was admitted to the Bangor Hospital, Braeburn, Scotland, with a broken leg and other injuries, received when he was knocked down by a car in Edinburgh.
He recovered from his injuries and after a period of sick leave, during which time he was promoted to Flying Officer, he was posted to No. 58 Operational Training Unit, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, in April, 1943, for a refresher course on Spitfire aircraft. On the completion of the course early in July, 1943, he was posted to No. 130 (Punjab) Squadron, Honiley, Warwickshire.
He served with No. 130 Squadron for the following seven months, operating from West Malling, in Kent, Catterick in Yorkshire, and Acklington in Northumberland. From these bases he carried out escot duties on bomber raids on targets in France, including St. Omer, Abbeville and Boulogne. On the 9th August, 1943, he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. In December and January he was engaged on combat training at Acklington and Scorton in Yorkshire.
On the 18th February, 1944, Flight Lieutenant Madden was posted to No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron, Exeter, Devonshire. He served with No. 610 Squadron for the following nine months, operating from Culmhead in Somerset, Fairwood Common in Glamorganshire, Bolt-Head and Harrowbeer in Devonshire, West Malling in Kent, Westhampnett in Sussex and Lympne in Kent. From these bases he carried out defensive patrols, convoy escort duties and operational sorties over Germany and Occupied Europe. On other occasions he damaged trains and lorries.
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On June 6, 1944, he acted as escort for invasion barges for the "D" Day landings in Normanby. He also acted as escort in Typhoon bombers bombing enemy shipping, aerodromes and other targets in Germany.
On June 16, 1944, he was posted to West Malling, where he carried out anti-flying bomb patrols. He was engaged on these duties until August 24, when he again took part in operation sorties over Germany and Occupied Europe. On several occasions he helped to escort bombers on raids on targets in Germany, including Gelsenkirchen and Kamenz. He also shot up barges and motor transports in Holland on a number of occasions.
On September 17, 1944, F/Lt. Madden acted as escort to the airbourne invasion of Holland, and a few days later escorted C47 Dakotas transporting supplies to a landing strip at Grave in Western Germany. On the 4th December, 1944 he moved to France with the Squadron. For the next fortnight he was engaged on routine patrols and fighter sweeps over enemy territory.
On the 18th December, 1944, F/Lt. Madden was pilot of a Spitfire aircraft engaged on an offensive patrol over Germany. While over Aachen the Squadron was split up by anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters, and dog fights ensued. F/Lt. Madden was reported missing believed killed. It was later reported that he had lost his life when his plane crashed near Rotenbar. He was buried with full service honours in the American Cemetery, Henri Chapelle, near Aachen, Germany.
5/2/1932 563 hours.
Mrs. M.G. Madden (M) 28 Komaru Street, Remuera, AUCKLAND.
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4213792: Flight Sergeant Anthony Victor Peter Madsen. Parents: Mr and Mrs V.H.C. Madsen of Palmerston North.
Anthony Madsen was born Palmerston North on the 21st January, 1921, and received his secondary education at the Palmerston North Technical High School. He was interested in football and swimm-ing at school. At the time of making application for war service in aircrew on the 13th October, 1941, he was a Gunner in the Eight Medium Battery of the Territorial Army. His civilian occupation was that off farmer, farming on his own account at Kairanga, Palmerston North.
Flight Sergeant Madsen was transferred from the Army at Wanganui to No. 202 Aerodome Defence Squadron, Ohakea on the 31st October, 1942. Early in January, 1943, he was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua, for aircrew training as Air Gunner. He proceeded to No. 1 Operational Training Unit, Ohakea, on the 3rd April, where he was awarded the Air Gunner's Badge on the 30th of the same month and promoted to Sergeant. He was further promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 30th October, 1943. Meanwhile, he had proceeded to Whenuapai on the 28th May. He embarked for Fiji on the 8th July, 1943, where he was posted to No. 4 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Nausori.
Flight Sergeant Madsen was a member of the crew of a Hudson aircraft which took off on anti-submarine escort duty on the 2nd January, 1944 and failed to return to base. The machine was seen by an aircraft returning to Lauthala Bay, at which time it was flying on its correct course. No further trace of the machine was ever discovered and all the crew, included Flight Sergeant Madsen, were posted as lost at sea on the 2nd January, 1944.
5/2/13272 A.S.2. No log book.
Mrs V.H.C. Madsen (M), Kairanga Rural Delivery, PALMERSTON NORTH.