Sgt. William John McKay . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 83 Sqdn. from Macduff, Banffshire. (d.8th August 1941) Sergeant McKay was the Son of Alexander and Hellen Mackay, of Macduff, Banffshire.
He was 26 when he died and is buried in the Bloemendall General Cemetery, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.
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Sgt Frank Gordon McKay. . RAF 12Sqd. (d.15th Jun 1943) Flt Eng.Frank McKay was killed on 15th June 1943 in Lancaster III W4992 GZ-A Bar of 12sqd
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Gnr. Patrick Mckeane . British Army Royal Artillery from Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland Patrick Mckeane was captured in the western desert, transported to Italy and from there to Stalag XVII at Krems Austria, where he spent the rest of the war. I believe Pat was in hospital at the time of liberation, so I am not sure if he was subjected to the long march. I do not know any more details as yet. I would love to hear any more information if anyone has any.
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Gnr. Patrick Mckeane . British Army Royal Artillery Patrick Mckeane was taken a POW in the Western desert where he operated a 25 pounder and transported to Italy. From there to Germany. He spent time in Reserve Lazarett Bad Freienwalde (Oder) 101 which was attached to this camp. Patrick was also in Stalag 17b. At this time I am not sure which camp was first
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Capt. T. G. McKeating . Home Guard D Coy. Workington Btn.
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Lt. W. McKeating . Home Guard D Coy. Workington Btn.
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Cpl. Kenneth Hubert Darroch "Mac" McKechnie . British Army General Service Corps
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Grp Cpt. William Neil McKechnie GC.. Royal Air Force pilot 106 Sqd. from Musselburgh, Midlothian (d.30th Aug 1944)
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Sgt. Edward McKee . British Army 21st HAA Royal Artillery My grandfather, Edward McKee never spoke about the war so his involvement is a mystery, I am trying to find out history of his Regiment and my grandfather's involvement.I have got these details from his soldier's service and pay book and a permanent pass.
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Pte. James Newall McKee . British Army Royal Army Medical Corps from Dennistoun, Glasgow (d.12th October 1944)
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PFC. John Francis McKee . US Army 30th US Infantry Division from St. Louis, Missouri, USA From the National Personnel Record Center I just discovered which POW camp my dad, John McKee was in after he was captured on 23rd of January 1945. He did not talk about his time there much. He passed away in 2001 and suffered from gout and arthritis his whole life. We believe a lot of his ailments were a result of his time as a POW.
I remember him saying that the POWs ate mostly potato soup, same as the guards, and they were lucky to get a piece of potato. The guards were not mean. At Christmas, he received a Red Cross package containing Limburger cheese, which was a delicacy, but he could not stand the smell of it after returning home. He lost 60 lbs in 5 months and was liberated on 2nd of May 1945. Unfortunately, I have no photos to share.
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L/Cpl. Robert McKee . British Army Gordon Highlanders from Harthill My father Robert McKee was taken prisoner at St Valery en Caux and walked nearly 500 miles with his company and was at Stalag XX1D in Posen for most of the war.
His Company was one of the ones left behind so the rest could escape. Unfortunately his ship was bombed and he was captured.
I have many photographs and hand painted postcards for Christmas that he sent home and were kept by his mother and sisters.
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Teleprinter Operator. Margaret "Micky" McKeevor . WAAF. Signals Section 12 Operational Training Unit My name is Margaret (Micky nee McKeevor) Teleprinter Operator, Signals Section, 12 OTU Chipping Warden and later married W/O Ken Cooper (later commissioned to P/O). I would be delighted to hear from any ex serving personnel either Waaf or RAF at the above station 1943/44.
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Mjr. Duncan Arthur McKellar MID.. British Army 6th Battalion, B Company Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) from Glasgow Duncan McKellar was wounded in action.
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F/O John H. McKellar . Royal Canadian Air Force nav. 419 Sqd. Sadly this is the only picture I have of my Grandfather John McKellar, he was the navigator in VR-W, KB-707 with 419 Squadron RCAF. His pilot was Allen Weston. In the background is VR-W which I believe was written off after the crash on September 20 1944. I have read VR-W was out on the night of September 18 bombing the coastal guns at Domberg. The plane received some damage as there were reports of wing problems. Upon return the weather over Middleton St. George was poor so they diverted to East Moor or Linton (Conflicting reports) for landing. The next day the plane went up on a practice flight, however on landing the gear collapsed and from when I can find out the plane was put out of service. No injuries were reported.
The crew were:
- P/O A.C.Weston, pilot
- F/O J.H.McKellar, nav
- F/O J.H.Mackay, bomb aimer
- FS R.F.Clarke, W/Op
- Sgt S.A.MUSTO, flight eng
- WO K.F.McCallum, air gunner
- FS W.H.Murrell, air gunner
I would love to get in touch with George Weston who has submitted his father's details to this page. If anyone has George's current email address please get in touch.
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Sgt. James Austin McKellep . United States Army 734th Field Artillery James Austin McKellep was my great uncle. He was in the U. S. Army 734th Field Artillery, as Mess Sgt. in charge of feeding 1300 Men. My great uncle told me stories of helping to feed some concentration camp survivors that they had liberated. He said it was a small camp. I am trying to figure which camp it might have been.
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Sgt. Charles Dale McKelvie . Royal Air Force 90 Squadron from Lamlash, Isle of Arran, Scotland (d.21st Apr 1943) Charles Dale McKelvie was the only son of William and Catherine McKelvie. He enlisted early in the war, and died aged 22 when his Stirling crashed into the sea over Denmark after being hit by German anti-aircraft flak. His body was recovered later that year, and was interred in Denmark's Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery.
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George Hamilton McKelvie . British Army Highland Light Infantry from Lambhill, Glasgow My dad, George Hamilton McKelvie, frequently told us stories of his time with HLI. Up to his knees in snow with mules to look after. I would love to learn more or get some information if possible. If anyone knows anything, then please let me know as I know that my dad was so so proud of this part of his life.
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Sgt D C J McKendry . RAF 102 sqd (d.15th Jan 1945)
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Sgt Francis Peter McKenna OBE.. Royal Air Force 15 Squadron from Blackpool My dad, Francis McKenna was a civilian detective who enlisted after police were taken off the reserved occupations list. He served as flight engineer next to his pilot and friend kiwi Bob Cameron. He flew 30 operations in Lancaster LS-O.
At the end of his tour he transferred to the SIB (Special Investigation Branch),became Squadron Leader and was awarded a military OBE for his successes in bringing to justice the SS murderers of the 50 RAF officers killed on Hitler's orders after their 'Great Escape' from Stag Luft lll.
He has a diary of his operations somewhere that I am currently trying to find. He died at Lytham, Lancashire in 1995.
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Francis Gerald Mckenna . British Army from Belfast, Ireland Francis Mckenna served in North Africa and was a driver of trucks. I have some photos of the unit in the desert.
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Sgt J A McKenna . Royal Air Force 434 Bluenose Squadron. (d.20th Jan 1944)
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James P. McKenna . United States Airforce from 545 Edison Ave. Bronx, N.Y. (d.6th August 1944) Uncle Jim was flying a B-24J returning from a bombing run over Hamburg when he was forced to drop down from formation due to an aircraft above coming down nearly colliding with his ship. This exposed his ship to the flak below hitting and knocking out the 2 starboard engines. A flaming cylinder penetrated the fuselage burning through gloved crews hands and fell on the hydraulic lines causing a fire aboard. Jimmy was trying to add power with the port engines but the result was a spin or 2 on the way down. The men were unable to communicate via radio with the cockpit and all were able to bail out except for Jimmy and Austin Byrne the command pilot. By reducing power to hold the plane level the other men were able to bail out, one through the hole in the side from that hot cylinder. Jim was unable to get out in time as the plane crashed into a mud bog with his body nearby the wreckage not far from Kranz Germany. Jim was a proud son of Josephine McKenna one of 6 brothers and 3 sisters 2 who still live on today. We heard accounts of the hellacious ride down from those who survived the bail out and prison camp after being captured. He would be proud to know his nephews Edward and John McKenna Jr. are aviation experts Edward being in Air Traffic Control as a supervisor today in New York and John being in his 30th year at NASA in Flight Operations and Engineering in Houston Texas.
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AC2 James Joseph McKenna . Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from Duleek (d.28th February 1946) Aircraftman 2nd Class McKenna was the Son of Joseph and Margaret McKenna, of Duleek.
He was 21 when he died and is buried in the Duleek (Holy Cross) Catholic Cemeterty, Duleek, Co. Meath, Ireland.
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Pte. James McKenna . British Army Royal Army Ordnance Corps from Glasgow My father, James McKenna, joined the Army as a volunteer just prior to the outbreak of WW2.
As a lowland Scot, he was keen to avoid having to wear a kilt and therefore wanted to join an English regiment.
He was appointed to the 50th (Northumbrian) Division and served in the Western Desert as a driver. He was posted missing for a short period.
He then was involved in the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. The ship he was aboard was bombed by aircraft and sunk. Although a non swimmer, he spent time in the water and was injured when being recovered by a trailing chain from the rescue boat. I believe that he spent time recuperating in Sicily.
He then was then sent to Normandy just after D Day and I remember him talking about the fierce fighting around Villers Bocage. He then was involved in the unsuccessful attempt to relieve the troops who had taken part in Operation Market Garden in Holland.
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Pte John Alphonsus Stuart McKenna . New Zealand Army D (Taranaki) Company 19th Battalion from Patea On 25 January 1941 my father, John Alphonsus Stuart McKenna, volunteered for war service and was attested into the 2nd NZ Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). He had been offered “essential industry” status but refused, preferring instead to go overseas and fight. He had prior service in the Territorial Force as a Sergeant.
His record shows he entered Trentham Camp on 18 February 1941 and embarked for Egypt on 7 April 1941 as a member of the 5th Reinforcements. They embarked on the ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’ at Wellington and sailed for the Middle East via Sydney, Perth, Singapore and Colombo, Ceylon. The ship disembarked in Egypt on 16 May 1941 and Dad was taken on the strength of Taranaki Company, the 19th Battalion, 4th NZ Brigade Group, 2nd NZ Division, on 26 June 1941.
He began desert training at the Infantry Training Depot, 2 NZEF Base Camp at Maadi on 27 September and marched back into the 19th Battalion on 19 October 1941. He was in the 1941 battles around Tobruk (Ed Duda and Sidi Rezegh), followed by the 1942 Break-Out at Minqar Qaim, where he was in the leading (Taranaki) company, and the Battle of Ruweisat Ridge where the 4th NZ Brigade, particularly the 19th Battalion was decimated. Dad was captured by the Germans on 15 July 1942 on Ruweisat Ridge.
• On 15 July 1942, the last day of the battle, his Army record shows that Dad was posted missing.
• On 24 October 1942 a cable from Rome (The Vatican we were told as children) was received stating he was incarcerated at Campo PG 57 at Gruppignano.
• His Army record shows he was posted as a Prisoner of War (POW) on 25 October 1942.
• On 24 July 1943 a communication was received from Rome stating he was in Campo PG 103/7 at La Maina (Sauris) in the Dolomites. According to a Top Secret questionnaire completed by Dad in the UK on 25 April 1945 he said he worked at this camp on a hydroelectric scheme.
• Cables from Rome advised that Dad had been ill with chronic intestinal catarrah in April 1943 and had been discharged from the “Hospital Militaire” at Udine cured of the illness but in “organic decline”.
• After the Italian surrender Dad and other prisoners from Campo PG 103/7 were transferred to Germany by train. According to the 25 April 1945 Top Secret questionnaire Dad arrived at Stalag VIIA at Moosberg on 15 September 1943. On 3 November 1943 Dad moved to Stalag XIA, Altengrabow, near Magdeburg, arriving on 6 November 1943. A capture card reporting Dad at Stalag XIA was noted in his records on 15 November 1943. On 24 December 1943 Dad was moved to Stalag XIB at Fallingbostel.
• A camp leader communication was received by the NZ Army on 23 January 1944 advising Dad was in Stalag XIB as POW number 138645.
• On 25 December 1943 he was moved to work camp KDO 7002 at Ufingln, where he worked building air raid shelters.
• On 6 August 1944 he was moved to Arbeitskommando 7001 at Halendorf where he worked in a steel works. He stayed there until 9 April 1945. Both work camps were attached to Stalag XIB.
• At Stalag XIB, on 13 April 1945, the German Commandant announced that the British Forces were very close and that he proposed to move his guard company, leaving a token guard on the camp to avoid possible interference by SS troops in the area. Senior prisoner NCOs then took over the complete administration of the camp, even to issuing leave passes to the German guards. On the morning of 16 April British tanks of units of the 7th Armoured Div (the Desert Rats) arrived at the camp gates and the POWs were released from Stalag XIB at 0837 hours 16th April 1945.
• Dad’s records show him being reported “safe in the UK” on 23 April 1945.
• Dad’s records show him embarking in England on 18 June 1945.
• Dad arrived back in NZ on 19 July 1945 (I was then nearly 7 and my brother Denis was 5).
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Pte. John Alphonsus Stuart McKenna . New Zealand Army D (Taranaki) Company 19th Battalion from Patea On 25 January 1941 my father, John Alphonsus Stuart McKenna, volunteered for war service and was attested into the 2nd NZ Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). He had been offered “essential industry” status but refused, preferring instead to go overseas and fight. He had prior service in the Territorial Force as a Sergeant. His record shows he entered Trentham Camp on 18 February 1941 and embarked for Egypt on 7 April 1941 as a member of the 5th Reinforcements. They embarked on the ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’ at Wellington and sailed for the Middle East via Sydney, Perth, Singapore and Colombo, Ceylon. The ship disembarked in Egypt on 16 May 1941 and Dad was taken on the strength of Taranaki Company, the 19th Battalion, 4th NZ Brigade Group, 2nd NZ Division, on 26 June 1941.
He began desert training at the Infantry Training Depot, 2 NZEF Base Camp at Maadi on 27 September and marched back into the 19th Battalion on 19 October 1941. He was in the 1941 battles around Tobruk (Ed Duda and Sidi Rezegh), followed by the 1942 Break-Out at Minqar Qaim, where he was in the leading (Taranaki) company, and the Battle of Ruweisat Ridge where the 4th NZ Brigade, particularly the 19th Battalion was decimated. Dad was captured by the Germans on 15 July 1942 on Ruweisat Ridge.
On 15 July 1942, the last day of the Battle, his Army record shows that Dad was posted missing.
On 24 October 1942 a cable from Rome (The Vatican we were told as children) was received stating he was incarcerated at Campo PG 57 at Gruppignano. His Army record shows he was posted as a Prisoner of War (POW) on 25 October 1942.
On 24 July 1943 a communication was received from Rome stating he was in Campo PG 103/7 at La Maina (Sauris) in the Dolomites. According to a Top Secret questionnaire completed by Dad in the UK on 25 April 1945 he said he worked at this camp on a hydroelectric scheme.
Cables from Rome advised that Dad had been ill with chronic intestinal catarrah in April 1943 and had been discharged from the “Hospital Militaire” at Udine cured of the illness but in “organic decline”.
After the Italian surrender Dad and other prisoners from Campo PG 103/7 were transferred to Germany by train. According to the 25 April 1945 Top Secret questionnaire Dad arrived at Stalag VIIA at Moosberg on 15 September 1943. On 3 November 1943 Dad moved to Stalag XIA, Altengrabow, near Magdeburg, arriving on 6 November 1943. A capture card reporting Dad at Stalag XIA was noted in his records on 15 November 1943. On 24 December 1943 Dad was moved to Stalag XIB at Fallingbostel.
A camp leader communication was received by the NZ Army on 23 January 1944 advising Dad was in Stalag XIB as POW number 138645.
On 25 December 1943 he was moved to work camp KDO 7002 at Ufingln, where he worked building air raid shelters.
On 6 August 1944 he was moved to Arbeitskommando 7001 at Halendorf where he worked in a steel works. He stayed there until 9 April 1945. Both work camps were attached to Stalag XIB.
At Stalag XIB, on 13 April 1945, the German Commandant announced that the British Forces were very close and that he proposed to move his guard company, leaving a token guard on the camp to avoid possible interference by SS troops in the area. Senior prisoner NCOs then took over the complete administration of the camp, even to issuing leave passes to the German guards. On the morning of 16 April British tanks of units of the 7th Armoured Div (the Desert Rats) arrived at the camp gates and the POWs were released from Stalag XIB at 0837 hours 16th April 1945.
Dad’s records show him being reported “safe in the UK” on 23 April 1945.
and also show him embarking in England on 18 June 1945.
Dad arrived back in NZ on 19 July 1945 (I was then nearly 7 and my brother Denis was 5).
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Sgt William Francis Mckenna . British Army Royal Artillery from Liverpool William Francis Mckenna was my father. He died when I was young and I only heard brief stories from him about the war and being a POW.
He married my mum after her husband, who was French, and signed up to serve in the Royal Navy was killed aboard HMS Beverly in the North Atlantic Convoys. My father's wife and three children were killed in the Blitz in Bootle, Merseyside after which he met my mum and they married soon after the war ended. My father, unfortunately, died when I was only 10 or 11. However, he did have two boys and one girl (my brother and sister) the same as the family he lost in the bombing.
I believe my dad was a 'desert rat'. I have his military medals and a friend of mine is researching my father's military service as we speak.
I have watched video footage of the repatriation of the prisoners from Stalag 357 Fallingbostel and I am 98% certain my father is in one of the videos which is really nice after all these years to have something tangible about his time as a POW.
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J Mckennan . British Army Royal Armoured Corps J Mckennan served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch. Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.
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Sgt. A. McKenzie MM.. Army 5th Btn. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
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