Evan Mackie

Infobox Military Person
name= Evan Dall Mackie
lived= 31 October 1917 - 28 April 1986
placeofbirth=Waihi, New Zealand
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname="Rosie"
allegiance=flag|New Zealand
service years= 1941 – 1945.
rank= Wing Commander
branch= Royal New Zealand Air Force
commands= 92 Squadron
80 Squadron
122(Tempest) Wing.
units=485(NZ) Squadron
243 Squadron
274 Squadron
battles= World War II
* Italian Campaign
awards=Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
laterwork=

Evan "Rosie" Mackie DSO, DFC & Bar was a New Zealand fighter pilot and ace of the Second World War.

Many New Zealand pilots who served overseas enlisted in the RAF; Mackie chose to join the RNZAF and as such he was the highest scoring member of that service [Note: Colin Gray, with 27 destroyed, two shared destroyed, 12 damaged, was the highest scoring New Zealand fighter pilot, serving as a member of the RAF.] .

Born in October 1917, 'Rosie', (so named when in the RAF because of his ruddy complexion)trained as an electrician before the war. Mackie joined the RNZAF in January 1941, and on completion of flying training was posted to the No 485 (NZ) Squadron in the UK in early 1942. In March 1943 he was posted to North Africa, to No. 243 Squadron, flying the Spitfire Mk V. He was shot down over Pont du Fahs area on 24 April, but returned on foot to Allied lines the next day. He was awarded the DFC in May, and achieved success in combat through April- October 1943. A JG 77 Bf 109 was claimed on 4 July , and Bf 109 of JG 53 on 5 July, while 2 Italian-flown Junkers Ju 87 of 121 "Gruppo" and a Reggiane Re 2002 of 5 "Stormo" were shot down on 13 July. In November he was posted to command No. 92 Squadron, returning, tour-expired, to the UK in February 1944.

He then joined 274 Squadron flying the Hawker Tempest in December 1944, before commanding No 80 Squadron, and then becoming No. 122 Wing Leader, in April 1945.

Mackie scored 20 air victories, as well as 3 shared kills, 2 probables, 10 damaged and 1 shared damaged, with 3 destroyed and 2 shared destroyed on the ground during the war. Of this final total, 12 kills, three shared destroyed, two probably destroyed, seven damaged and one shared damaged, was achieved while flying the Spitfire Mark V and Mark VIII. Mackie was also credited with 6.5 kills in the Hawker Tempest. [Price 1997, p. 83.]

Bibliography

* Price, Alfred. "Late Marque Spitfire Aces 1942 - 1945". Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-575-6.
* Price, Dr. Alfred. "Spitfire Mark V Aces 1941–1945". London: Osprey, 1997. ISBN 978-1-85532-635-4.
* Shores, Christopher and Chris Thomas. "Second Tactical Air Force Volume Two. Breakout to Bodenplatte, July 1944 to January 1945". Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 2005. ISBN 1-903223-41-5.
* Shores, Christopher and Chris, Thomas. "Second Tactical Air Force Volume Three. From the Rhine to Victory, January to May 1945". Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 2006. ISBN 1-903223-60-1.
* Thomas, Andrew. (2008). "Griffon Spitfire Aces". Osprey Publishing, London, England. ISBN 978-1-84603-298-1
* Thomas, Chris. "Typhoon and Tempest Aces of World War 2". Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-779-1.

Citations

Reflist