The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (422599) Flight Sergeant Donald John Mackerras, No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Charis May, the story for this day was on (422599) Flight Sergeant Donald John Mackerras, No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Second World War.

422599 Flight Sergeant Donald John Mackerras, No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force
KIA 6 August 1944
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 12 November 2016

Today we pay tribute to Flight Sergeant Donald John Mackerras.

Born in Camperdown in south-western Victoria on 7 November 1920, Donald Mackerras was the son of John William and Esmond Irene Mackerras. By the time he was attending school the family was settled in Pymble in Sydney’s upper north shore. Growing up, Mackerass attended Lindfield Public School, Hornsby Junior Technical School, and then Ultimo Central Technical School. A keen sportsman, he played reserve grade rugby for the Gordon Club and was a member of the North Bondi Surf Club. Later he worked as a costing accountant for his father at J.W. Mackerras Costing Accountants.

On 22 May 1941 Mackerras joined the Royal Australian Air Force, and soon after enlistment commenced training as a pilot. On 11 December 1941 he embarked for overseas service. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Mackerras was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers, who joined squadrons based in Britain throughout the course of the war.

Mackerras’s journey to Britain took place via Canada, where he spent several months undertaking specialist training. After arriving in Britain in September 1943, he was posted to No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force. At the time he joined the squadron it was equipped with the Hawker Tempest.

From mid-June 1944, air power was divided as the RAF turned its attention from the Allies’ foothold in Normandy to the V-1 terror bombing campaign on London. Australian aircrews and pilots were involved in attacking and bombing V-1 launch sites in northern France as well as intercepting V-1s in flight – this was a particularly dangerous task, because if a pilot flew too close to the target when it was hit, he could be killed in the powerful explosion.

Owing to the speed and high performance of the Hawker Tempest, No. 3 Squadron played a key role when tasked with intercepting and shooting down the V-1s in flight. The pilots performed outstandingly, and the squadron was credited with destroying more than 250 V-1s. Mackerras and his fellow Australian pilot Flying Officer Hubert Bailey led the charge, each credited with destroying 11 rockets.

In the afternoon of 6 August 1944 Mackerras was on a mission to intercept a V-1 over Sussex when his Tempest crashed near Minfield. He was killed in the crash, aged 23.

The commander of No. 3 Squadron wrote to Mackerras’s father, saying:

[Donald was a] very keen and experienced pilot … He was liked by all and his loss is felt deeply by every member of the Squadron, both the aircrews and the groundcrews.

Donald’s body was recovered and he was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.

Mackerras’s name is listed here on the Roll of Honour on my left, among some 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Flight Sergeant Donald John Mackerras, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Dr Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section