McKay, Douglas George

Date of birth:: February 16th, 1920 (Portage La Prairie/Manitoba, Canada)
Date of death:: July 14th, 1943 (Drunen/North Brabant, The Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Gilzerbaan
Plot: A. Row: 1. Grave: 29-30.
Service number:: R/124347
Nationality:: Canadian (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy)

Biography

Douglas was born on February 16 1920 in Portage La Prairie Manitoba, the son of Robert George McKay and Dorothy Lillian McKay nee Ellis (English) of Bagot Manitoba.

He had two brothers and two sisters and two other sisters were already deceased during the infancy.

He was a farmer and member of the United Church. His hobby was hunting and his sports were baseball, hockey and swimming.

He served as a Private from July 31 1941 till August 31 1941 with the no 10 Clearing Depot at the 100th Basic Training Centre of the National Resources Mobilization Act 1940. He enlisted on September 2 1941 then the RCAF in Winnipeg and he went on November 5 1942 thereafter overseas to the UK.

Douglas was killed in action on Wednesday July 14 1943 age 23 due to a crash at the hamlet of Fellenoord, municipality Drunen.

The other fallen RCAF crew member was P/O Alan O. Smuck age 25 in grave A1-29-30.
The other fallen RCAF crew member WO II David L.G. Brown age 20 was temporarily buried in Tilburg before being reburied at the Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in grave 5-G-8.
The other fallen RAF Volunteer Reserve crew members were Sgt John Foggon age 19 in grave A1-29-30 and Sgt Robert Barneveld age 20 in grave A1-29-30.
RAF crew member F/O J.J. Kelly survived the crash and became then a prisoner of war and RAF crew member Sgt B. Domigan also survived the crash and he could evade then.

On his headstone: ALL YOU HAD, YOU GAVE, TO SAVE MANKIND YOURSELF, YOU SCORNED TO SAVE

McKay Creek northeast of Lake Winnipeg is honoured after Douglas after the war.

He served with the 408 Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.