Flying Officer Donald Graeme Lane Taylor was from Cambridge, New Zealand.

He was posted to 485 Sqn RNZAF. In February 1945, 485 Sqn was stationed at Gilze Rijen airfield (B77), as part of 135 Wing, 83 Group. The squadron flew primarily Armed Reconnaissance missions.

On 8 February 1945, 12 spitfires took off from Gilze Rijen at 09.25 for an Armed reconnaissance mission in the Groningen - Zwolle area. F/O Taylor, at 21 an already very experienced fighter pilot with over 650 hours on the spitfire and nearly 120 combat missions, flew spitfire MK529 OU-D ‘Waipawa Special II'.

485 Sqn RNZAF

At Onnen, 6 kilometers south east of the city of Groningen, the squadron strafed a small marshalling yard and a train which was just departing. The spitfires came around for a second pass at 10.10. F/O Taylor flew so low, that he hit a lamppost, breaking off the wing. The aircraft hit the ground, bounced and crashed into an house at the Blekerweg. F/O Taylor was killed as were two German soldiers who were in the house.

F/O Taylor was buried the next day in Haren General Cemetery. On his grave the date of death is erroneously stated as 10 February 1945.

Donald Lane, a cul-de-sac off Vogel Street in Cambridge is named after F/O Donald Taylor.

Haren, The Netherlands

 

Sources:
For Your Tomorrow, Errol W. Martyn, Volplane Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1998
Dave Homewood's Cambridge Airmen site

Directions to Haren General Cemetery

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