The Airmen's Stories - P/O J F J MacPhail

James Frederick John MacPhail was born on 5th March 1915 and joined the RAF on a short service commission in late February 1939. After completing his training he was posted to 26 Squadron, where he flew Lysanders.

In August 1940 MacPhail volunteered for Fighter Command and on the 21st he was posted to 5 OTU Aston Down where he converted to Spitfires.

Above: MacPhail's Guinea Pig ID (courtesy of East Grinstead Museum).

He joined 603 Squadron at Hornchurch on 31st August and damaged a He111 on 9th September, destroyed a He111 and damaged another on the 11th and destroyed a Me109 on the 15th.

On 23rd September MacPhail bailed out from Spitfire N4394, circumstances unknown, and was admitted to Leeds Castle Military Hospital. He was transferred to the Queen Victoria Hospital on 8th October 1940, the documentation recording:

Injuries: Burns to face, hands and legs.
No. of Operations at East Grinstead: 1

Whilst ferrying Spitfire P8016 from 6 MU to 74 Squadron at Hawkinge on 20th February 1941, MacPhail lost control of the aircraft and baled out. The Spitfire crashed at Oaks Park near Wallington, Surrey.

On 4th March he crashed a Spitfire at Belmont, Surrey whilst carrying out an air test.

His subsequent service is currently undocumented until he was released from the RAF in 1945 as a Flight Lieutenant.

MacPhail died on 30th September 1963.

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December 2025- Kevin Charles of the website All Spitfire Pilots (https://allspitfirepilots.org) kindly writes:

I came across two entries for this airman in the 1416 Flight / 140 Squadron ORB (AIR-27-966-1):

1.8.41 F/O JF MacPhail (42014) Reported for duty from CFS Upavon.
12.9.41 F/O JFJ MacPhail posted from this unit to No. 1. AACU.

Regarding the entry "On 23rd September MacPhail bailed out from Spitfire N4394, circumstances unknown", according to the Spitfire Production website:

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/production.html

.........there is no N4394, but there is an entry for JFJ MacPhail for X4349 for the same date:

X4349 Ia 1110 EA MIII FF 5-9-40 9MU 6-9-40 603Sq 8-9-40 abandoned CE 23-9-40 P/O JFJ MacPhail inj SOC 2-10-40.