Name
John (Cameron) Mackintosh
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
17/06/1943
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Squadron Leader
40727
Royal Air Force
156 Sqdn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY
II. F. 29.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Boys’ Grammar School Memorial (WW2), Letchworth Town Memorial
Biography
He had been born on the 15th May 1914 at 22, Sollershott Green, Letchworth and attended Norton Road School in Letchworth and Miss MacFadyen's Preparatory School before going to the Hitchin Grammar School from 1924-1 92 9. His father was a Departmental Manager at the Spirella Factory in Letchworth. On leaving school he was employed by the British Tabulating Machine Company Ltd where he stayed until shortly before the outbreak of war at which time he joined the RAF.
His Service Number after joining the R.A.F. was 40727 and in June 1942 he was Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished service as he had taken part in many raids over Germany and enemy occupied countries. One raid was the Sylt raid on the 19th/2 0th March 1940 which was the first bombing raid carried out by the RAF. on a German land target. The attack was on the seaplane base at Hǒmum, chosen because there was no nearby civilian housing and in retaliation for an attack on a village near Scapa Flow.
He was reported missing by Summer 1943 and in the Autumn of the same year it was confirmed that he had been killed during a bombing raid over enemy territory on the night of the 16th/17th June 1943. Five days before his death, his crew had been credited with the destruction of a German night-fighter. He was a member of Pathfinder 156 Squadron using Lancaster bombers based at Warboys near Huntingdon. The Lancaster III ED 840 coded GT-A took off at 22.44hrs to attack Cologne but crashed at Lier in Belgium. It was believed to have been shot down by flak.
He is buried in Plot 2, Row F, Grave 29 in Schoonselhof Cemetery in Antwerp. Three other members of his crew also lie in the same Cemetery. Another three were made prisoners-of-war.
He was the only son of William and Mrs E.E. Mackintosh of ‘Oakhurst’, West View, Letchworth but he did have two sisters. His wife was Mrs J.C. Mackintosh.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Hitchin Grammar School Chronicle, Hitchin Grammar School Registers, Paul Johnson - local historian, Mr Wm Govaerts of Lier in Belgium, ‘Bomber Command Losses’ by W. R. Chorley, ‘Bomber Command War Diaries’ by M. Middlebrook & C. Everitt, Herts & Beds Express dated 25th Sep 1943, Citizen Newspaper dated 25th June 1943
