Date of birth:

April 29th, 1923 (Camper/Manitoba, Canada)

Date of death:

November 22nd, 1943 (Diever/Drenthe, Nederland)

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Graves Diever
Plot: E. Row: 5. Grave: 5.

Service number:

R157077

Nationality:

Canadian

Malcolm was born in Camper Manitoba on 29 April 1923, the son of Malcolm Archibald McKellar and Ellen Marshall McKellar-McPherson (both Scottish). They were married in Winnipeg in November 1913. His brothers were L.D. McKellar (also overseas with the RCAF) and J.M. McKellar (also with the RCAF) and his sisters were Phyllis McKellar and Mrs Lena Murden-McKellar. He was a college student and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His sports were ice hockey, tennis, badminton and swimming.

On 12 February 1942, he enlisted in Winnipeg and received the Air Bomber's Badge in Canada on 19 February 1943. Shortly afterwards, on 4 April 1943, he went overseas to the UK and took part in two different air operations of his squadron to NW Europe.

Malcolm died on Monday 22 November 1943 aged 20 while on a mission to Berlin. Their Halifax bomber LW231 VR-F had taken off that evening from RAF Middleton St George for a mission to Berlin and was shot at by a German night fighter. The aircraft crashed burning in the “Staatsbossen” near Diever, killing all crew members.

The other crew members killed were Sgt George A. Howitson, age 21, Plot E. Row 5. Coll. grave 4-7, P/O William L. Hunter, age 21, Plot E. Row 5. grave 3 , WWII Joseph A. Lesage, age 22, Plot E. Row 5. grave 1, Sgt George A. May, age 19, Plot E. Row 5. grave 2, and F/O Richard J. Newman, age 21, Plot E. Row 5. Coll. grave 4-7, (all RCAF) and Sgt Wilbert B. Jones, age 18 yrs, Plot E. Row 5. Coll. grave 4-7 (RAFVR)

His headstone reads: A FEARLESS SOUL, A WELL LOVED SON, AT JOURNEY'S END AND VICTORY WON

He was posthumously honoured with the RCAF Operational Wings and Certificate of gallant services in action against the enemy on 31 October 1946. His mother was awarded the Memorial Cross on 6 February 1945.

The names of the crew are inscribed on a monument at the crash site in the woods near Diever

He served with the 419 Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.

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• Photo 1: Edwin van der Wolf
• Photo 2: Bert Deelman
• - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820790/malcolm-archie-mckellar/

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