22439 Angus McKay Royal Air Force 78 conversion flight My father, Angus MacKay, served at Croft in 1942. He was a wireless operator air gunner u/t with 78 conversion flight. He flew in a whitley that crashed at Croft and to the day he died he had a burned wrist due to the crash. He flew on the 1000 bomber raid. 78 was notorious as the biggest squadron of Halifaxes and NCO aircrew who should have been officers. The crews were allowed to live out. My mum rembered my father coming home in the mornings with his uniform smelling of woodsmoke. A senior officer swore at my father and his Highland roots, that night my father broke into the officers mess and cut off half of his handlebar moustache as he slept. My father never spoke of his war but he only said a Halifax was known as The Queen of the skies because it could be landed with ease, it was also very easy to get out. He went to the HCU and was grounded with an abscess in the ear, he was at the big hospital in Blackpool and there saw Ken Dodd s first performance. I researched my fathers war - it was not good.
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