Donald Gordon McNab was born in 1911, son of Donald and Anne McNab (nee Geddes), of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand. He was married to Jessie Joan McNab.

He was a pilot on Halifaxes with 76 Squadron.

On 27 April 1943 they participated in a mission to Duisburg. They took off at 0051 from their base Linton-on-Ouse. They were flying Halifax V DG423-H. They had just converted from the Halifax BII. This was Sgt. McNab's 4th mission with 76 squadron. He had 506 flying hours.

His crew consisted of:

Sgt D C McNab
P/O N D Fleming
Sgt F N Slingsby
Sgt B F Keable
Sgt C C Strain
Sgt J Wood

76 Sqn RAF

 

The plane was shot down around 02.34 and claimed by Fw. Heinz Vinke. It crashed in the Reguliersdwarsstraat, close to the Carlton Hotel in the centre of Amsterdam, setting the hotel and a whole block of houses on fire. It was the biggest fire Amsterdam had seen in centuries. It also destroyed one of Amsterdam's finest channel houses, that of Joan Huydecoper.

The whole crew was killed. Ironically the hotel was then used as a Luftwaffe Headquarters. (Anne Frank mentions this event, very shortly, in her diary.)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

See also:
Sgt Jack Clegg
P/O Noel Fleming
Sgt F N Slingsby
Sgt B F Keable
Sgt C C Strain
Sgt J Wood

Sources:
W.R. Chorley, To See The Dawn Breaking, self published 1981
Martyn, Errol W.,  For Your Tomorrow, Volume II, Christchurch: Volplane Press 1999

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

Home | Search | Research | About