MacKay, William Alexander (Sergeant, b.1913 - d.1943)

Places	Oceania: Australia, Queensland Oceania: Australia, Queensland, North Queensland, Cairns Oceania: New Guinea Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, East New Britain, Rabaul
Accession Number	PR04285
Collection type	Private Record
Record type	Collection
Measurement	Extent: 1 cm; Wallet/s: 1
Object type	Diary
Maker	MacKay, William Alexander
Place made	New Guinea
Date made	1942-1943
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright	Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain
Copying Provisions	Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required.

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 414624 Sergeant William Alexander MacKay, 41 Radio Direction Finding Wing, Royal Australian Air Force, attached to 63 Bomber Squadron United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), Australia and New Guinea, 1942-1943.

Wallet 1 of 1 – consists of two notebooks relating to Sergeant William Alexander MacKay, dating from 1942 to 1943.

The first notebook is a typed record containing details of bombing operations and names of airmen serving in the 63rd Bombing Squadron from 8th December 1942 to 7 October 1943. Individual missions are recorded by date, as they executed bombing raids against the Japanese in Vanakanua, near Rabaul, New Britain. In this notebook, Sergeant MacKay is mentioned as one of only two Australians assisting the USAAF as specialists and operators of radar equipment. He is also listed as a missing crew member of the Flying Fortress aircraft that failed to return on 30 June 1943.

The second notebook contains hand written signalling training notes and personal diary entries created by Sergeant MacKay, dated between 16 January and 23 June 1943. This first portion of this notebook also contains a hand-drawn technical diagram and list of names of servicemen. The second portion of this notebook contains Sergeant MacKay’s diary entries that record his movements, postings and details of operational flights.

History / Summary

Sergeant William Alexander MacKay enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in Brisbane, Queensland on 13 October 1941. He trained as a wireless air gunner in December 1941, and after completing training in Bombing and Gunnery School he was promoted to Leading Aircraftsman on December 1941. In July 1942 he was promoted to Sergeant. Sergeant MacKay was posted in February 1943 to the 41 Radio Directing Finding Wing attached to the 63 Bomber Squadron, United States Army Air Force. He served as a Wireless Air Gunner/Radar Counter Measures Operator in Port Moresby, New Guinea. On 30 June 1943 he was killed in action over New Guinea whilst assisting in the bombing operations of the 63 Bomber Squadron, USAAF. The wreck and remains of the crew were found in 1947. Sergeant MacKay is buried at St Louis (Jefferson Barracks) National Cemetery.