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1LT John L Mackey

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1LT John L Mackey Veteran

Birth
Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
15 Feb 1943 (aged 24)
At Sea
Burial
Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France GPS-Latitude: 49.360608, Longitude: -0.856097
Plot
Plot D Row 22 Grave 33
Memorial ID
View Source
1st/Lt. John L Mackey MIA/KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
67th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomber Group, Heavy
Squadron: 578th 44th Bomb Group U.S. Army Air Forces
Service# O-662351
Awards:
Captain Arthur V. Cullen Pilot POW/EVD
Donald W. MacDonald Command Pilot KIA

Target: German Raider Togo, Dunkirk, France
Mission Date: 15-Feb-43
Serial Number: # 41-23783
Aircraft Model # B-24D-5-CO
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location: Dunkirk
Cause: Flak
CREW of 11 5KIA 2 MIA/KIA 4POW

The target for this hurried afternoon mission was a German Raider thought to be the Togo, which was found on the morning reconnaissance flight. It was thought that the ship was ready to slip out at any time to raid Allied shipping. Crews were hurriedly called and briefed, with 17 planes of the 44th BG soon airborne. They rendezvoused with aircraft of the 329th Squadron, 93rd BG, and were led by the 67th Squadron's Captain Cullen and the C.O. of the 67th Squadron, Major Donald W. MacDonald, as the formation's Command Pilot. Two aircraft were lost. A third crash-landed on the beach south of Ramsgate.

According to Captain Cullen who survived and became a POW. The ship took a direct hit from 88 mm flak under the flight deck at about the nose wheel section. Major Mac had a serious stomach wound, he unstrapped his belt and with lots of effort on his part (it must have been agony for him) and a little pushing on my part, he went through the roof – or rather where the roof used to be. He got down all right but he died on the operating table of a German Luftwaffe hospital in France.
Sgt. Emery and Mckinsey's remains were never recovered or identified.

Captain Cullen Crew
Donald W. MacDonald Command Pilot KIA
Captain Arthur V. Cullen Pilot POW
1st/Lt. John L. Mackey Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Paul D. Caldwell Bombardier KIA
T/Sgt. Albert W. Emery Engineer MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Albert W. Emery Engineer MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Samuel S. Weiser Radio Op. KIA
T/Sgt. David H. Woo Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Thomas E. Mckinsey Gunner MIA/KIA
Sgt. James A. Hilley Gunner KIA
Sgt. Charles A. Arnold Gunner POW
Sgt. Jesse M. Norwood Gunner POW
-------------------------
Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Navigator. Aircraft was severely damaged by flak over the target at Dunkirk,France and crashed into the sea. Of the 11 man crew, 7 were KIA.
1st/Lt. John L Mackey MIA/KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
67th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomber Group, Heavy
Squadron: 578th 44th Bomb Group U.S. Army Air Forces
Service# O-662351
Awards:
Captain Arthur V. Cullen Pilot POW/EVD
Donald W. MacDonald Command Pilot KIA

Target: German Raider Togo, Dunkirk, France
Mission Date: 15-Feb-43
Serial Number: # 41-23783
Aircraft Model # B-24D-5-CO
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location: Dunkirk
Cause: Flak
CREW of 11 5KIA 2 MIA/KIA 4POW

The target for this hurried afternoon mission was a German Raider thought to be the Togo, which was found on the morning reconnaissance flight. It was thought that the ship was ready to slip out at any time to raid Allied shipping. Crews were hurriedly called and briefed, with 17 planes of the 44th BG soon airborne. They rendezvoused with aircraft of the 329th Squadron, 93rd BG, and were led by the 67th Squadron's Captain Cullen and the C.O. of the 67th Squadron, Major Donald W. MacDonald, as the formation's Command Pilot. Two aircraft were lost. A third crash-landed on the beach south of Ramsgate.

According to Captain Cullen who survived and became a POW. The ship took a direct hit from 88 mm flak under the flight deck at about the nose wheel section. Major Mac had a serious stomach wound, he unstrapped his belt and with lots of effort on his part (it must have been agony for him) and a little pushing on my part, he went through the roof – or rather where the roof used to be. He got down all right but he died on the operating table of a German Luftwaffe hospital in France.
Sgt. Emery and Mckinsey's remains were never recovered or identified.

Captain Cullen Crew
Donald W. MacDonald Command Pilot KIA
Captain Arthur V. Cullen Pilot POW
1st/Lt. John L. Mackey Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Paul D. Caldwell Bombardier KIA
T/Sgt. Albert W. Emery Engineer MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Albert W. Emery Engineer MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Samuel S. Weiser Radio Op. KIA
T/Sgt. David H. Woo Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Thomas E. Mckinsey Gunner MIA/KIA
Sgt. James A. Hilley Gunner KIA
Sgt. Charles A. Arnold Gunner POW
Sgt. Jesse M. Norwood Gunner POW
-------------------------
Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Navigator. Aircraft was severely damaged by flak over the target at Dunkirk,France and crashed into the sea. Of the 11 man crew, 7 were KIA.

Gravesite Details

Entered the service from Kansas.




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  • Maintained by: John Dowdy
  • Originally Created by: War Graves
  • Added: Aug 8, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56647152/john_l-mackey: accessed ), memorial page for 1LT John L Mackey (21 Oct 1918–15 Feb 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56647152, citing Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France; Maintained by John Dowdy (contributor 47791572).