501576 Sgt. Hugh Neil Mackinnon Royal Canadian Air Force 420 Squadron Wellington HE550 PT-G took off on April 14, 1943 at 2112 hours from Middleton St. George on a mission to Stuttgart. Homebound at 12,000 feet the plane was shot down by a Ju88 and crashed at Mesnil-St Laurent (Aisne), 5 km SE of St. Quentein, France. F/O Sydney Brown and P/O J A Simpson are buried in the churchyard at Mesnil-St Laurent. S/L F V Taylor and F/O G C Crowther bailed out and eventually returned to England. Sgt H N McKinnon was taken prisoner (Stalag 4B, No 222620) and was eventually repatriated. Additional Information: | The wireless operator, Hugh Neil Mackinnon was first picked up by Marcel Nicolas of Quessy, then entrusted to Mr and Mrs Logeon in Chauny. They sheltered may aviators (see for example, Ford and Everiss) in their garage business, and then were instrumental in getting Mackinnon and others to Paris via Comet. Mackinnon evaded capture for a while but was picked up in Paris by the Gestapo before evading and spent the rest of the war in Stalag 4B.Mrs Patricia Coombes
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