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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 114

Three: Flying Officer J. L. McKinnon, Royal Canadian Air Force, who was killed in action in a flying accident on 2 May 1944

Defence Medal; Canadian Service Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45, all silver issues, extremely fine (3)

John Lockwood McKinnon was born at Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada on 16 November 1923, the son of William and Mary McKinnon and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on 24 April 1942.

After basic training in Canada he was awarded his Pilots' flying badge and also a commission on 25 June 1943. McKinnon was posted to the United Kingdom the following month and trained at No. 6 Pilot-Advanced Flying Unit, No. 1517 Beam Approach Training and No. 82 Operational Training Unit, before being posted to No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit on 17 April 1944.

That last unit was stationed at Ropcliffe Airfield in 1944 and on 2 May the crew Halifax BB247, were undertaking a training flight. They comprised six members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and one member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

There was a noticeable gusty wind at the time. At 14:00 hrs, they had initially taken off from Topcliffe, to begin a dual instruction short local flying exercise with Flying Officer John Towse RCAF (J/17133) so that the instructor could assess them, but also so that he could check that the wind was not too strong for them to then practice three engine flying. The wind was too gusty for the three engine flying at the height the aircraft was to be flying so they made a brief circuit of the airfield and landed. Prior to leaving the aircraft the instructor informed the trainee crew to then commence a local flying exercise to take in beam flying training, three engine flying (above 3,000 feet, where the wind would not be an issue) and a general local flying exercise.

Across the runway in use at Topcliffe, there was a noticeable cross wind but this was not excessive. Minus the flying instructor the aircraft began to take off at 14:18 hrs. It was seen to make a normal run down the runway, to the point it left the ground. It then began to increase the angle of climb to around 90 feet and climbed sharply to around 400 feet off the ground, the airspeed then decreased, it then stalled, turned to port and dived into the ground within the airfield boundary.

On impact with the ground, near the base sewage works, the aircraft exploded. With this being during the day and within the airfield site, all of the brief flight and subsequent crash were witnessed by many people at the Topcliffe base. The base crash team and medics were immediately on the scene and cut their way into the rear of the aircraft, they managed to get to the rear gunner and dragged him clear but he was already dead.

The rest of the aircraft was well alight, so any rescue attempt for the other members of the crew was not possible. As there were numerous witnesses to the whole of the flight, it was found that the aircraft had appeared to take off normally but that a problem must have been apparent immediately as the aircraft left the ground, as no attempt to raise them was made. As the undercarriage had not been raised, it led the investigators to suspect that the pilot (McKinnon) and flight engineer must have been busy with some other situation. Due to the aircraft's forward part being destroyed by fire, no firm reason for the crash was ever found.

Nothing appeared to have been set incorrectly in the aircraft's control system, so it was suggested that the pilot had become incapacitated as the aircraft left the ground, pulling back on the control column causing the aircraft to climb rapidly. The flight engineer would normally have stood next to him at that time, so it was suggested that he had then tried to grab the controls to level the aircraft out but this had not worked. This would then account for the undercarriage having not been raised by the flight engineer, as he was busy fighting to control the aircraft instead. McKinnon is buried at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery).

Sold together with an archive of original material comprising:

i)
Birks bar engraved (F/O J. L. McKinnon R.C.A.F. Died in his country's service 2 May 1944), in presentation booklet, with Minister of Veterans Affairs letter and covering envelope.

ii)
Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot's wings.

iii)
Royal Canadian Air Force shoulder title.

iv)
Royal Canadian Air Force button.

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Sold for
£240

Starting price
£240