Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

FLIGHT SERGEANT DONALD JOHN MACKERRAS
Sunday 6th August 1944. In the sky over Eastbourne at about 1 36 pm,
a Tempest Mk V fighter, JN759, one of the fastest and newest in the RAF,
swept down to attack a V1 flying bomb. These travelled at about 400 mph
and at a height usually between 1,000 and 3,000 feet. The pilot, Flight
Sergeant Donald John Mackerras, an Australian from a suburb in Sydney,
N.S.W. may have been attempting to tip the V1 wing and destabilise the
gyroscope controlling the flying bomb. It was hazardous, but probably less
than trying to shoot it down. Aircraft with 0.303 machine guns found that
most of the small calibre bullets simply bounced off, so only the 20 mm
cannons of the Tempest packed sufficient punch to destroy the doodlebugs.
However, they still needed to get within 250 yards in order to explode the
1,000 kg (approximately a ton) high explosive warhead. At 360 mph, that is
6 miles a minute, so just a furlong away means the aircraft immediately flies
into the debris cloud of the explosion, no time really to change course.
Donald Mackerras had already destroyed 11 V-1’s and shared in 3 more,
but that Sunday afternoon he lost control of the Tempest and crashed 10
miles north east of Eastbourne. The map reference was given as WR1532
and the place was misrecorded as Minfield.
The map reference initially given to me was incorrect, as that placed it
near Marlpits Lane, that’s why this has just come to light, as it is of course,
NINFIELD.
In late July 1944, young Hugh Gordon Tate had been electrocuted when
a barrage balloon that had its moorings severed by another V1 cutting its
cables, had drifted over the Ninfield Rec. Several boys had tried to capture
it, but the wind blew it towards the road shedding boys as it went. Eventually
just Hugh was left clinging to the ropes when the balloon contacted nearby
HT power lines. On the day of his funeral, 2nd August, the day after the
inquest had concluded, a V1 exploded in Church Wood.
The police report strongly suggests that Mackerras was hit by our own
anti aircraft shells, a frequent risk, as with so many V1’s crossing the Channel
in June and July, it was a dangerous “free for all” with often 2 or more aircraft
attacking the same V1. The Defence of Great Britain air force and military
commanders therefore agreed on a specific zoning whereby aircraft would
be restricted. Over the Channel and French coast, slower fighters such as
Spitfires, Mustangs and Typhoons or Mosquitoes would roam, trying to catch
the V1’s as they built up air speed. AA guns along the coast now armed with
proximity fuses, would take over any V1’s that reached the coast, with the
Tempests and other higher speed aircraft such as Mustangs and Spitfire Mk
XIV’s patrolling behind.
Personally, the circumstances seem to indicate that Don and another
Tempest took off at 1.30 pm from RAF Newchurch, just the other side of Rye
so they only had a few minutes to raise undercarriage, check radios and
climb for height, a procedure that may have taken them closer to the coast.
This far removed in time, it’s difficult to say the precise events, but it seems
that Don dived on to a V1 and reports said he “spun in” losing control possibly
by hitting the turbulence form the V1’s slipstream. Other eyewitness reports
said the aircraft was on fire, presumably before hitting the ground, in which
case a proximity fuse AA shell burst may have hit him, rather than the V1.
Don may have tried to regain control as the aircraft came down in a crash
landing state, with undercarriage still raised and under power. A pilot in
control of a crashing aircraft would look for a flat field to try and land with the
undercarriage down and with the engine off to avoid the aircraft catching fire.
Although it belly landed, Don did not get out, presumably either incapacitated
in some way if hit by an AA explosion, or from the force of impact when crash
landing.
Summary: Tempest JN759 flown by Flt Sgt Mackerras took off from RAF
Folkestone, Kent, on a daytime operational Anti-Diver patrol and crashed at
1336 hours on 6 August 1944 near Ninfield, Sussex, about 10 miles north
east of Eastbourne, UK. Dick at Stock Meadow believes the plane crashed
close to Len Keeley’s storage yard on Standard Hill, nearly opposite Lower
Standard Hill Farm.
The wreckage was later removed and the field has been ploughland for 77
years now, so nothing remains to mark where a brave pilot lost his life
defending us from the Nazi terror weapon. I can’t prove it, but that V1 could
have landed in the middle of Ninfield had it not been intercepted. JN759 was
the 30th Tempest produced (production starting at JN729).
MACKERRAS, DONALD JOHN. Flight Sergeant. Service No. 422599.
Died 6/08/1944 Aged 23.
Royal Australian Air Force (attached to No 3 Squadron RAF)
Son of John William and Ermonce Irene Mackerras, of Pymble, New South Wales, Australia.
Buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery Plot 4. Row O. Grave 9.
Epitaph: A gallant airman, he died that others may live.

D J “Mac” MacKerras (RAAF No. 422599) was born in Camperdown,
Victoria, Australia, on 7 November 1920. Mackerras worked as an
engineering draftsman in Pymble, New South Wales before joining the RAAF.
He flew with No. 3 Squadron on Tempest during 1944, but was killed on 6
August when JN759 spun into the ground at Ninfield during a V-1 patrol. The
police air crash record states that it is believed he was hit by our own AA
defences (using proximity fuses?) and lost control. Aircraft burnt out on
impact and cannon shells exploding sprayed across a nearby road.
Mackerras' victories in Tempest
Date of Claim Type Aircraft Location Unit Note
Claimed Serial No.
31 May 1944 2 x 1/5 Ju188s 3 Sqn ground
31 May 1944 2 x 1/5 Ju188s 3 Sqn ground
16 June 1944 1/2 V-1 (JN793) S. Chatham 3 Sqn
18 June 1944 V-1 (JN752) nr Biggin Hill 3 Sqn
18 June 1944 V-1 (JN745) nr Gatwick 3 Sqn
23 June 1944 V-1 3 Sqn
25 June 1944 V-1 (JN745) N Beachy Head3 Sqn
27 June 1944 V-1 3 Sqn
3 July 1944 V-1 (JN968) off Dungeness 3 Sqn
11 July 1944 V-1 3 Sqn
12 July 1944 1/2 V-1 3 Sqn
14 July 1944 V-1 3 Sqn
20 July 1944 V-1 nr Battle 3 Sqn
26 July 1944 V-1 (JN768) E Tonbridge 3 Sqn
26 July 1944 V-1 (JN768) S Ashford 3 Sqn
28 July 1944 1/3 V-1 3 Sqn
Sources: Aces High Vol 2 by Christopher Shores
The V-1 Flying Bombs: the Vergeltungswaffe 1 FZG-76, known as the
Flying Bomb, Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was designed by Robert Liisser of
the Fieseler company as the Fieseler Fi 103. It was powered by an Argus
pulse jet engine providing 660 lb of thrust for a top speed of 390 mph and a
range of around 150 miles (later the range was extended to 250 miles). It
was 22 feet long, around 17 ft in span, it weighed 4,800lb and carried a
1,870lb warhead. The first test flight of a V1 was in late 1941 or early 1942
at Peenemünde.
Intelligence had prepared the British authorities for an attack on Southern
England by robot weapons. Bombing attacks were made on the German
research establishment at Peenemünde and factories believed to be involved
in the production. These attacks delayed the introduction of the new weapon
and prior to the Normandy Invasion of 6 June 1944 much effort had been
expended in attacking launching sites in the Pas de Calais area between
Dieppe and Calais (France).
The RAF’s initial response was to extend the attacks on the launching sites,
whilst fighters formed the first defence over the Channel and the South Coast.
192 heavy AA guns and equal number of light weapons provided the next
line of defence. On the eastern outskirts of London 480 balloons provided
the final element. Initial patrols were made by 11 squadrons, two Mosquito, equipped for night operations.
The first offensive launches were made on 12 June. Only ten V1’s were launched that night, of which seven crashed or blew up at once! The first to reach England fell on Swanscombe at 04:18 hours on 13 June. Thereafter the launch rates increased rapidly, in 24 hours 151 V1s were reported by the defences. During the night 14/15 June the first interception of a V1 was made over the English Channel, and shot down.
These arrangements were inadequate and the guns were increased to
376 heavy and 540 light weapons and the balloons were strengthened to
around 1,000. Fighter units included the new 150 Wing at Newchurch with
three squadrons of Tempests, Spitfire Mk XIVs of 41, 91 and 322 Squadrons
and Mustangs of 129, 306 and 315 Squadrons. A special flight of Tempests
was also formed at Wittering with pilots of the Fighter Interception Unit. This
moved to Newchurch to join the other Tempest squadrons. Over the weeks
which followed further units became involved including Polish flown Mustangs,
radar-equipped Mosquito and Typhoon squadrons.
By 15 July 2,578 V1s had reached England. 1,241 were destroyed by the
defences, with 1,280 falling in the London area. Between 9-15 July the
percentage destroyed reached 50%, mainly by the fighters. The damage
caused was still too high so even more guns were moved to the coastal area.
By 19 July, 412 heavy and 600 light weapons were in place together with
168 Bofors and some rocket batteries. Now the fighters patrolled over the
Channel and over central Kent, between the guns and the balloons. The
guns were now receiving stocks of proximity-fused shells, which increased
their results. Between 16 August and 5 September only 17% of the 1,124
launched V1s reached their target area. On the night of 27/28 August 87 of
the 97 V1s launched were shot down!

Now here a little of the personal background of Don becomes involved.
Although born in Australia, he still had relatives in the UK, primarily his aunt
and uncle in Croydon. The BBC reported that V1’s were overshooting
London, so the Germans put less fuel in, causing them to fall short of Central
London, but more on the suburbs, such as Croydon.
By 5 September the Allies armies had overrun the launching sites in
France and the attacks ceased. By this time two more Tempest squadrons
had joined the defences, 274 and 501 Squadrons. On 16 September the
assault was resumed. Seven V1s were air-launched by Heinkel He111
bombers operating from airfields in Holland. 80 V1s were launched in this
manner in late September, of which 23 were destroyed. In March 1945 a
further 104 were launched from ramps in Holland. The last fell on England
on 28 March 1945, and the last to be launched was shot down the next day.

Between June 1944 and March 1945 of the approximately 10,000 launched,
3,957 V1s were claimed to have been destroyed. 1,979 by fighters, 1,866
by guns, 232 by balloons and 12 by Naval guns.
The British government was concerned that there appeared to be little to
stop them being launched and instead instructed the BBC to report that most
of the missiles were overflying London and exploding harmlessly in open
countryside north of the capital. This worked and the Germans began
reducing the fuel load, so that more fell short of London. What was more
surprising is that the Germans were able to track the V1’s so they knew they
were hitting London, but chose to believe the BBC! The V1 was the first
“cruise” missile, whilst the V2 (against which there was no possible defence)
was the first ballistic missile.

That single raid on Peenemunde probably allowed the Allies to gain the
upper hand and delayed the introduction of both the V1 and more importantly
the V2. Bomber Command still suffered horrendous losses when switched
to daylight bombing of the initial “ski jump” launch ramps, which were
extremely difficult to hit and needed precision attacks, and for which the
Germans could employ extremely heavy AA defences.
Imagine fleets of V1’s crossing the Channel before D Day and landing
amongst the packed troops and equipment. It might have changed the course
of the War.

What everyone thought was that the V1 crashed to earth when its fuel
ran out. That wasn’t the case. There was a small vane on the nose which
was prewound a certain number of revolutions calculated to reach central
London from whichever launch site it came from. That rotor unwound until
when it reached zero, it would trigger a guillotine blade which cut the wires
controlling the rear stabilisers, and thus caused it to pitch down. The ram jet
motor, firing at 50 times a second, made that well known buzzing sound
which gave it the nick name of buzz bomb, as it dived at full power into the
ground. The V1 exploded at ground level, so the blast effect was much more
severe, as first there would be the outward pressure wave, creating a vacuum
at the explosion site, then, as the air rushed back to fill the void, that created
a push pull effect on walls and houses.
Almost 30,000 V-1s were made; by March 1944, they were each produced
in 350 hours (including 120 for the autopilot alone), at a cost of just 4 per
cent of a V-2, which delivered a comparable payload.
Approximately 10,000 were fired at England; 2,419 reached London,
killing about 6,184 people and injuring 17,981. The greatest density of hits
were received by Croydon, on the south-east fringe of London. Antwerp,
Belgium was hit by 2,448 V-1s from October 1944 to March 1945.

Flight Sergeant D J MacKerras. Nationality: Australia. Unit: 3 Squadron, RAF
Tempest victories: 11 and 3 shared V-1 Flying Bombs.
Service Record: Name MacKerras, Donald John
Service Royal Australian Air Force. Service Number 422599
Date of Birth 7 Nov 1920. Place of Birth Camperdown, Victoria
Date of Enlistment 22 May 1942. Place of Enlistment Sydney, NSW
Next of Kin: MacKerras, John William, "Naina," 8, Orana Avenue, Pymble,
Sydney NSW. (His father had been wounded at Gallipoli and also served in
France in WW1)
Date of Death 6 Aug 1944. Rank Flight Sergeant. Posting on Death 3
Squadron
Roll of Honour Ku Ring Gai Memorial, Pymble, near Sydney, NSW.
Gordon District RUFC Roll of Honour, Chatswood Oval, North Sydney
Kevin Regan, Ninfield England August 2021
DISCLAIMER. The above information has been collated by me from freely available internet sites, many not previously accessible. Any copyright remains vested with the original sources, but any mistakes are mine alone. If you have better information or corrections, please contact me.