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The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. I D G Donald

 

Ian David Grahame Donald was born on 3rd September 1917, the son of Air Vice Marshal Grahame Donald (1891-1976) and Gwyneth Adrienne Martin (1888-1946).

His father had been practising aerobatics in a Sopwith Camel in 1917 when at the top of a loop at 6000 feet his safety belt snapped and he fell out. Parachutes were not then in use.

Incredibly the Camel had continued its loop downwards, and Donald landed on its top wing. He grabbed it with both hands, hooked one foot into the cockpit and wrestled himself back in, regained control, and landed safely.

In the Russian Civil War he led eleven RAF aircraft based at Biorko, Finland in a night raid against the Bolshevik naval base at Kronstadt. The aircraft had arrived in the area aboard the carrier 'HMS Vindictive'.

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IDG Donald was at Dulwich College from 1931 to 1935 and entered RAF College Cranwell in January 1936 as an Honorary King's Cadet.

 

After graduation, Donald joined 64 Squadron at Church Fenton on 18th December 1937. During the 1938 Air Exercises he was pilot of one of a formation of 64 Squadron Hawker Demons that were caught in a dense fog which descended suddenly over a wide area of England on 7th August. They were routed over Digby and then all pilots and air gunners were ordered to bale out.

Donald joined 141 Squadron when it was reformed at Turnhouse with Defiants on 4th October 1939. On 29th November he was promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant and appointed a Flight Commander.

On 12th July 1940 the squadron moved south to West Malling. Donald was flying one of nine Defiants attacked by Me109s of III/JG51 off Dover on the 19th. He was killed in the aircraft while his gunner, P/O AC Hamilton, baled out but was drowned in the sea. Their aircraft, L7009, crashed at Elmsvale Road, Dover.

 

 

Donald is buried in All Saints' churchyard, Tilford, Surrey.

 

Above images courtesy of Joel Diggle.


 

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