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Remembered Today:

RAF Pilot WW1


MHiggins

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Hello:

I am trying to find information about a pilot in the 11th Squadron by the name of Douglas McIntosh. He was a friend of my wife's grandfather, Alan Kenneth Magner, who was in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WW1. If anyone has some tips on where to look(i.e-digitized files etc) that would be a big help. I do not live in the UK, so right now I am limited to web searches etc.

thanks!

Mark Higgins

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There seem to be two Canadian Douglas McIntosh's: see here -

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/list.aspx?k=Surname%3a%22McIntosh%22+AND+GivenName%3a%22Douglas%22

I suspect that. like many, he transferred to the RFC from a Canadian army regiment and so his RFC/RAF files (AIR 76/AIR 79 and WO 339 file prefixes) will be available at the National Archives (UK) - usually digitised and cos £3.30 or on Ancestry.com. It depends on whether he was a commissioned or NCO pilot.

The WO 339 files are not digitized however.

TNA search page here:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

A quick look seems to reveal just one possible:

AIR 76/320/11 Name McIntosh, D M.

I'd also give the London Gazette a search, to see if he has promotion/medal award notices:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/London/notice

(it's best to filter by surname and dates to reduce the results count).

Then there is Flight Archive (which will most likely repeat the London Gazette results, but these will be just for RFC/RAF:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/search.aspx

A quick search of the latter renders no 'D McIntosh' so it's possible he was an NCO pilot, but equally it's possible (?) that Douglas was not his first name: there IS a mention in 1919 of a Lt PD McIntosh (Quebec Regt) relinquishing his RAF commission. So maybe Douglas was his middle name? Just a possibility and one that you'd be able to quickly confirm I imagine.

Once you know what dates he was with 11 Sqn, you can go back to the National Archives, and in many cases download Squadron records for the period he was with the unit. Sadly despite a National Archives declaration that all War Diaries would be available online, it's not the case for all RFC/RAF units.

Sadly I'm at work at the moment and so can't consult The Bible - Trevor Henshaw's epic 'The Sky Their Battlefield II', but it's possible that McIntosh has a mention (or mentions) in there: I'm sure someone later today can confirm.

Hope this helps!

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Confusingly, I have a D D McIntosh and a P D MacIntosh listed as members of No 11 Sqn RFC.

On 20 May 1917, 2nd Lt A W Gardner + Lt D D McIntosh claimed an Albatros scout out of control over the Sensée Canal in F.E.2b A5507

On 17 July 1917, Lt P D MacIntosh was wounded while flying as an observer in a Bristol Fighter.

I suspect that these are one and the same person, but resolving such anomalies in my databases is a time-consuming process and I haven't yet reached "M"!

Graeme

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Hello:

I am trying to find information about a pilot in the 11th Squadron by the name of Douglas McIntosh. He was a friend of my wife's grandfather, Alan Kenneth Magner, who was in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WW1. If anyone has some tips on where to look(i.e-digitized files etc) that would be a big help. I do not live in the UK, so right now I am limited to web searches etc.

thanks!

Mark Higgins

Hello:

Actually, Douglas Mcintosh was a citizen of England, not Canada. My apologies as I may not have made that clear. Thanks for looking into this

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D M McIntosh's record with the RAF started on 2 12 1918, so it may not be the chap looked for. He was also Canadian. He is recorded at the Recruits Depot on 25 9 1918, and was transferred to 44th Wing on 18 10 1918. He was subsequently granted an honorary commission on 19 3 1920 effective from the date of his discharge which appears to be in 1918 and due to being surplus to RAF requirements.

Mark

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Confusingly, I have a D D McIntosh and a P D MacIntosh listed as members of No 11 Sqn RFC.

On 20 May 1917, 2nd Lt A W Gardner + Lt D D McIntosh claimed an Albatros scout out of control over the Sensée Canal in F.E.2b A5507

On 17 July 1917, Lt P D MacIntosh was wounded while flying as an observer in a Bristol Fighter.

I suspect that these are one and the same person, but resolving such anomalies in my databases is a time-consuming process and I haven't yet reached "M"!

Graeme

Thanks very much! This is very interesting and helpful

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  • 3 years later...

Hi, I understand it has been a while since your post. However, I know a Douglas McIntosh located in the UK, Leeds. 

 

I feel this may be the Douglas you are looking for.

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