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NZ413573 Pilot Officer Donald Gordon McCASKILL.
PARENTS: Lieut. Col. & Mrs. McCaskill of Wellington.

Donald McCaskill was born at Wellington on the 11th October 1923. He received his secondary education at Nelson College, and was still a student there at the time of applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 17th June 1940.

Pilot Officer McCaskill was enlisted at Ohakea on the 23rd June 1941 and employed there on ground duties until remustered to aircrew and posted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 6th November. He proceeded to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth on the 20th December to commence his flying training, then to No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Ohakea on the 7th Febraury 1942 and thence early in March to No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Wigram. Here on the 4th April he was awarded the flying badge and promoted to Sergeant on the 13th June. While in the United Kingdom on the 21st February 1943 he was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer. Meantime during June, 1942 he had embarked for the United Kingdom, proceeding by way of Canada.

Pilot Officer Caskill arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 28th July, and underwent his Advanced and Night Flying at No. 3 (P) Advanced Flying Unit, South Cerney, Gloucestershire, and at the satellite airfields of Lulsgate, Bottom, Somerset, and Long Newton, Wiltshire. During September he completed a beam approach course at No. 1519 Beam Approach Training Flight, Feltwell, Norfolk, aftewards proceeding on the 27th October to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire. Here and at the satellite airfield at Oakley, also in Buckinghamshire he crewed up and completed his training as pilot of Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 29th January 1943 he was posted to No. 1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishall, Suffolk for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft. While with this Unit as 2nd Pilot of a Stirling aircraft he was attached to No. 90 Squadron, Ridgewell for an operational sortie on Wilhelmshaven, and to No. 214 Squadron, Chedburg for a raid on Cologne.

On the 12th March 1943 he joined No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron at Newmarket, Suffolk, and from this base took part in a further five