1941-1943. 413220 Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF in his Empire Air Training Scheme ...

1941-1943. 413220 Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF in his Empire Air Training Scheme uniform. On 18 June 1944 Pilot Officer Mason was part of a flight of six Mk1A Hawker Typhoon ground-attack fighters from RAF 198 Squadron 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 Mr. Alexander Lemarois. The aircraft impacted at high speed and buried itself in the bank of a small creek. Mr Lemarois's father had been killed the same day by allied aircraft. Although Mr. 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. (Black and White image held as P01899.003) (Donor J. Colvin)