Andrew Robert "Andy" MacKenzie

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Kassel Hit in Force By R.A.F. Canadians; 44 Planes Are Lost

Twelve Dominion Bombers Fail to Return From Night Offensive
London, Oct. 23. (1943)—(AP)—A great force of R.A.F. and R.C.A.F. heavy bombers fought their way through many Nazi fighters last night to deliver a concentrated attack on the German war industrial Centrex of Kassel in the ninth—and costliest—major British raid of the month.
Forty-four heavy bombers, including 12 Canadian, failed to return from the mission, but the four-engined planes fought back stubbornly, sending "several” fighters hurtling from the dark skies.
A smaller force of heavy planes struck at the same time at Frankfurt, making it the second raid in 18 days on that industrial Centrex, and Mosquitoes rounded out the night's bombing attacks with an assault on the Cologne area.
As the heavy bombers again added their terrific punches at German industry to the night and day attacks that lighter R.A.F. and American planes have been conducting against Nazi communications and fighter fields, German raiders stabbed at London for the seventh successive night, dropping a few bombs.

Second Biggest Loss
Not since an R.A.F. and R.C.A.F. armada hit Berlin on the last night in August had British bomber losses been so severe. Forty-seven aircraft did not return from that raid.
The lesser attack on Frankfurt, more than 400 miles from Berlin, was the 39th of the war on that big automotive, rail and rubber Centrex.
While the official report mentioned that bad weather was encountered during the 400-mile round trip to Kassel, it said that visibility was good over the target and that first reports indicated the explosives had been concentrated, indicating that the airmen probably had equaled or even exceeded the 50 tons of bombs a minute dropped during the last Kassel raid October 10.
The attack on Kassel was the ninth major R.A.F./ R.C.A.F. raid of the month and the fifth heavy battering of that German city of 200,000 in six months.
Kassel, which is 100 miles northeast of Cologne, is one of Germany's key aircraft towns and also the site of the Henschel Locomotive Works, largest of its kind in Europe. The city has a big assembly works for Messerschmitt 109's.
The Berlin radio said that the British and Canadian raiders also had hit Frankfurt-on-the-Main. It admitted damage was caused.
Almost every type of daylight craft went back and forth across the channel yesterday in a speeded-up aerial offensive against the Continent.
Repeating their assaults on Britain for the seventh successive night, the Nazis sent a small number of planes across the Kent and Sussex coasts and a few of them reached the London area last night, Bombs were dropped in East Anglia and in two sections of the London area. A small number of casualties were reported.
The Allied bombers flew all the way to France and back without encountering one enemy plane, but a group of R.A.F. and R.C.A.F. Spitfires on patrol sweeps over occupied countries hit a sizable nest of German fighters and shot down eight of them against one loss.
In one of these series of dogfights over northern France, a Canadian fighter wing under Wing-Cmdr, Hugh C. Godefroy, of Toronto, destroyed two German Focke-Wulf 190s and damaged another despite the fact they were outnumbered 3 to 1. One Canadian failed to return.
Pilots credited with the kills were P.O. Karl Linton, of Plaster Rock, N.B., and F.O. Andrew R. Mackenzie, of Montreal.
During the day R.C.A.F. Mustangs were also out, destroying a Nazi bomber and damaging several locomotives, while Whirlwind bombers damaged a Cherbourg peninsula viaduct. A Coastal Command Beaufighter, patrolling off the Netherlands coast, attacked and hit two enemy trawlers, an R.C.A.F. communiqué added, leaving one in flames.

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Canadians Down 7 Nazi Craft, Score Probable, Smash 4 More

With the R.C.A.F. Somewhere in England, Dec. 20, 1943 - (CP) - Canadian fighters, supporting widespread Allied bomber activity over France and Belgium, today destroyed seven German planes, probably got another and damaged four more for their biggest victory since Nov. 3, when R.C.A.F. fighters shot down 11 Germans.
F/O Andy MacKenzie, a 32-year-old former flying instructor from Montreal, was the leading scorer with a pair of enemy planes to his credit and another probably destroyed.
The Canadians' bag included five fighters, destroyed by the Red Indian squadron flying under the new commander, S/L Jimmie Lambert of Winnipeg, in support of medium bombers attacking military objectives in Northern France. Lambert himself was one of the successful Red Indian pilots along with Mackenzie, F/L Ed Gimbel of Chicago and F/O Tommy De Courcey of Windsor, Ont.
Two German bombers, a Junkers 88 and a Dornier 217, were destroyed earlier in the day over Brussels in sweeps supporting the United States heavy bomber raid on Bremen. An R.C.A.F. communiqué gave no indication what the German bombers were doing in the air at the time.
Four Canadian fighters were lost during the day.
F/L Cam Cameron destroyed the Junkers while F/O D. Givens of Montreal and F/O L. A. Dunn of Toronto shared in the destruction of the Dornier.
MacKenzie, who was engaging the enemy for the second time in 35 sweeps, shot down a Focke-Wulf 190, scored a "probable" against a Messerschmitt 109 and then got another Focke-Wulf. He shot down the second Focke-Wulf after shaking a couple of Nazis off his tail and coming out of a turn to find himself on the tail of two German planes chasing Gimbel.

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Credits Fine Shooting to Beurling's Tuition

London, December 22, 1943 - (CP Cable) - Flying Officer Andy MacKenzie of Montreal was originally credited with two kills and one probable success in last Monday's operations by Canadian fighters against the Germans over the continent.
But today, on evidence of his flying companions, the probable became a positive kill and MacKenzie was officially credited with the destruction of three planes.
The revision left the score for the daylight operations at eight German planes shot down and four Canadian fighters missing.
MacKenzie is one of the finest marksmen in the Red Indian squadron and has been squadron gunnery officer almost from the time he joined the outfit. He credits flight lieutenant George Beurling of Verdun, Que., Canada's leading ace of the war with 30 planes destroyed, for his marksmanship.
"George made out one of his special tables for me a combination of speeds and angle degrees" MacKenzie said. "I studied it religiously, and still do as a matter of fact, because a guy hasn't much time to figure out these things up there."

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MACKENZIE, F/O Andrew Robert (J10976) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.421 Sq.
Award effective 15 January 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 January 1944 and
AFRO 410/44 dated 25 February 1944.

This officer has participated in numerous sorties and has destroyed four enemy aircraft, three of which he shot down during a sweep over northern France in December 1943. Flying Officer Mackenzie is a skilful and resolute fighter whose determination to destroy the enemy has always been evident.

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Honours Awarded Canadian Airmen

Ottawa, Jan. 26, 1944 — R.C.A.F. headquarters last night announced award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to F/O A. R. Mackenzie, of Montreal, who flies with an R.C.A.F. Spitfire squadron in Britain and has destroyed four enemy aircraft, three of which he shot down during a sweep over northern France.
Headquarters also announced award of .D.F.C.s to F/O V. K. Moody of West Middle Sable, NS., and F/O T. H. Cameron of Sylvan Lake, Alta.
Moody is credited with destroying two enemy aircraft and damaging "many others," and Cameron with shooting down three.

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8.25 / 0 / 1

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MUST READ :

Andie's "adventure" in Korea

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This Photo, supplied to me by Dave Champion (thanks Dave) but originally from the private collection of Thomas Darcy McGee Fletcher, was taken December 6th 1954 in Hong Kong as Andy is about to board the plane home after being released by the Chinese. From left to right: William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy) & Andy trade hats, Andy's brother-in-law, Wing Commander Donald Schene (sent by Ottawa to Hong Kong to collect him) and Canadian diplomat Tom Fletcher.

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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