CAPTAIN: MACKENZIE
LANCASTER F-FREDDY - JB119
Crashed on edge of Bourn airfield and caught fire, aircraft destroyed. Three of the crew, including the pilot, killed.
CREW
Pilot: Squadron Leader Donald Forbes Mackenzie
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Cambridge City Cemetery
Flight Engineer: P/O John Towler Pratt
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Clitheroe Cemetery
Navigator: F/S Robert Marshall
Injured 17-Dec-43
Bomb Aimer: F/L William Alfred Colson
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Willesden New Cemetery
W/Op: F/S Anthony (known as Tony) Hunter
Injured 17-Dec-43
Mid-Upper Gunner: F/S William Robert Lang
Injured 17-Dec-43
Rear Gunner: F/S Keith Kirby
Injured 17-Dec-43
LANCASTER F-FREDDY - JB119
Crashed on edge of Bourn airfield and caught fire, aircraft destroyed. Three of the crew, including the pilot, killed.
CREW
Pilot: Squadron Leader Donald Forbes Mackenzie
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Cambridge City Cemetery
Flight Engineer: P/O John Towler Pratt
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Clitheroe Cemetery
Navigator: F/S Robert Marshall
Injured 17-Dec-43
Bomb Aimer: F/L William Alfred Colson
Killed 17-Dec-43, buried in Willesden New Cemetery
W/Op: F/S Anthony (known as Tony) Hunter
Injured 17-Dec-43
Mid-Upper Gunner: F/S William Robert Lang
Injured 17-Dec-43
Rear Gunner: F/S Keith Kirby
Injured 17-Dec-43
DETAILS
Just before quarter to one in the morning, F-Freddy crashed on the northern perimeter of the airfield and immediately caught fire. Squadron Leader Mackenzie, a small reserved Scottish man of 27 years old, was killed immediately, as were his flight engineer and bomb aimer, both of whom were with him in the front section of the plane. All four survivors got out of the plane or were dragged clear before any of them suffered serious burns.
The survivors were immediately taken to Station Sick Quarters. The Medical Officer diagnosed that Marshall, the navigator, had a fractured tibia and fibula, and shock, and Keith Kirby, the rear gunner, had internal injuries and shock. Hunter had lacerations of the scalp and Lang abrasions and lacerations of the face. The fractures were splinted and the burns and lacerations dressed, but as soon as possible Lang, Marshall and Hunter were sent onto Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in one of the station's ambulances. Kirby, because of his injuries, was taken to the specialist RAF hospital at Ely, where he was discovered to be suffering from a fractured spine.
The following morning, Mackenzie's aircraft could be clearly seen by the side of the main road from St Neotts to Cambridge, near Two Pots Farmhouse, charred, bent and twisted, and scarcely recognisable as a plane.
The crew's usual bomb aimer was Ivor Glyn Stephens, who was not flying on Black Thursday and thus escaped the crash. Just before quarter to one in the morning, F-Freddy crashed on the northern perimeter of the airfield and immediately caught fire. Squadron Leader Mackenzie, a small reserved Scottish man of 27 years old, was killed immediately, as were his flight engineer and bomb aimer, both of whom were with him in the front section of the plane. All four survivors got out of the plane or were dragged clear before any of them suffered serious burns.
The survivors were immediately taken to Station Sick Quarters. The Medical Officer diagnosed that Marshall, the navigator, had a fractured tibia and fibula, and shock, and Keith Kirby, the rear gunner, had internal injuries and shock. Hunter had lacerations of the scalp and Lang abrasions and lacerations of the face. The fractures were splinted and the burns and lacerations dressed, but as soon as possible Lang, Marshall and Hunter were sent onto Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in one of the station's ambulances. Kirby, because of his injuries, was taken to the specialist RAF hospital at Ely, where he was discovered to be suffering from a fractured spine.
The following morning, Mackenzie's aircraft could be clearly seen by the side of the main road from St Neotts to Cambridge, near Two Pots Farmhouse, charred, bent and twisted, and scarcely recognisable as a plane.
There is a lot more information on this crew whose story was followed by Henry Pedersen in his book, "Skidthøgen (1995) Beretningen om tre engelske flyvere, der meldte sig til R.A.F.", written in Danish and published by Odense University Press.
Our thanks to Henry Pedersen for supplying the photographs. As William Colson was only a temporary crew member, unfortunately it has not been possible so far to find a picture of him.
Note added by JG: 16th December 2007. I am very glad to say that some photos of William Colson have now been found through the auspices of the Pathfinder Museum at RAF Wyton. I have added them at the end of the other crew members.
Robert Marshall
John Pratt with his girlfriend Maria
Tony Hunter
CREW: Duncan Forbes Mackenzie, John Towler Pratt, Robert Marshall, William Alfred Colson, Anthony Hunter, William Robert Lang, Keith Kirby, 97 Squadron, 16/17 December 1943
Right Robert Lang
Above Right: Keith Kirby
Above: Ivor Stephens
The Pathfinder Year - 97 Squadron at Bourn
Right and below: William Colson
Does anyone recognise this crew with William Colson?