MR J. S. MacDONALD

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28371, 2 September 1957, Page 13

MR J. S. MacDONALD

Mr John Stewart MacDonald, who died in Christrhurch recently, had a distinguihed record as a pilot m the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War 11. Joining the service in 1939, he was posted to the United Kingdom as a pilot in 1942. In January, 1943, Mr MacDonaid was .posted to No. 490 (Flying boat* Squadron R.N.Z.A.F., at Invergorden, North Scotland. In June of that year, the squadron moved to Jui, British West Africa. In 1944, he returned to the United Kingdom where he took a conversion course un Sunder - lands. While training as a captain he attacked and destroyed a U-boat in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.

Mr MacDonald returned to West Africa in, July. 1944, and while on operations there made three forced landings in the sea. Ou one of these occasions his aircraft came down near the coast of French West Africa and the crew was rescued by a corvette and landed at Dakar He completed his tour in 1945 and after revisiting the United Kingdom was repatriated to New Zealand in 1946. Commissioned during his service in West Africa, he - attained the rank of flight lieutenant. Mr MacDonald was educated at the Marist Brothers’ School and St. Bede's College and before the

war was prominent in competitive and trick swimming and surf lifesaving. Keenly interested in scouting, he was at one time scoutmaster to the Catholic troops of St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s. He was also associated with debating and took an active part in church affairs. Mr MacDonald is survived by his wife and three young children.