LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Keith Courtney DONALD
Service No: 426265
Born: Townsville QLD, 30 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1942
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Driffield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Halifax aircraft MZ915), Denmark, 16 September 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Aabenraa Cemetery, Denmark
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Stirling Donald and Mary Clare Donald, of South Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 16 September 1944, 499 aircraft, mostly Halifaxes of Nos. 4 and 6 (RCAF) Groups, scored another success with 663 tons of high explosive and 788 tons of incendiaries. Fifteen crews of No. 462 and twelve of No. 466 reported that fires took strong hold at the southern end of Kiel and the glow from them could be seen at distances up to 100 miles. One aircraft of No. 466 failed to return.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 294
Halifax MZ915 took off from RAF Driffield at 2200 hours on the night of 15/16th September 1944 to bomb installations at Kiel, Germany. Thirteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and of these MZ 915 failed to return. It was later believed that the aircraft crashed on the island of Als, at Elstrup, 2 kms east of Guderup, Denmark.
The crew members of MZ915 were:
Flight Sergeant Keith Courtney Donald (426265) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Henry Francis (1894710) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant James Gill (1129780) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Alexander Hutchison (110553) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant John Traill Leitch (1801415), (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Clive William Thomson (427768) (Navigator)
Sergeant Benjamin David Merilees Warren (1607824) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/10/305