| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P01899.002 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Thorney Island, Portsmouth, England. C. 1944-05. 413220 Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF, ...
Description
Thorney Island, Portsmouth, England. C. 1944-05. 413220 Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF, a veteran of more than 100 sorties, standing on the wing of his RAF 198 Squadron Mk1A Hawker Typhoon ground-attack fighter. On 18 June 1944 Pilot Officer Mason was part of a flight of six Typhoons on a search and destroy mission against German flak batteries near Caen. During that mission Pilot Officer Mason was shot down near the village of Boulon, and crashed in flames 800 metres from the house of M. Alexander Lemarois. The aircraft impacted at high speed and buried itself in the bank of a small creek. M. Lemarois's father had been killed the same day by allied aircraft. Although M. Lemarois reported the crash, Pilot Officer Mason's body remained undisturbed in the fuselage of his Typhoon until late 1992 when it was exhumed by the Museum of the Battle of Normandy. Pilot Officer Mason was buried with full Service honours in the St Charles de Percy Calvados War Cemetery, France, on 10 March 1993. (Donor J. Colvin)