Alex McKie 617 Sqdn RIP

Kyt · Aug 28, 2008

Alex McKie - Telegraph

Flight Lieutenant Alex McKie , who has died aged 86, flew as a navigator on two of the attacks made by the Lancasters of No 617 Squadron against the German battleship Tirpitz.

In September 1944 Tirpitz was moored in Kaa Fjord in the far north of Norway, which put her out of range of bombers operating from Scotland. A force of Lancasters flew to an airfield near Archangel in northern Russia, from where the attack was to be mounted.

McKie was one of the navigators to locate the remote airfield as 13 other bombers landed or crashed in outlying areas. Approaching the airfield, however, his aircraft was engaged by Russian fire and badly damaged. The Australian pilot (Flying Officer D Carey) managed to land, but the bomber could not be repaired for the operation on September 15. McKie and his crew flew on other aircraft for the attack, which was thwarted by the battleship's smokescreen.

By October 29 Tirpitz had been moved south to Tromsø, in range of Scotland. Over the target, the Lancaster crews met poor weather, which made bomb aiming difficult, and the battleship survived. McKie's aircraft dropped its bomb but was then hit by flak; other crews saw pieces breaking off the Lancaster, and it was last seen heading for Sweden. It was the only crew to fail to return and it was posted as "missing".

A few days later news came through that McKie's Lancaster had crash-landed in Sweden. It transpired that the crew had made six attempts to sight the battleship before dropping the bomb. An engine was put out of action, and, as they headed for Scotland, the Lancaster was hit again. The loss of a second engine and much of the fuel made it impossible to reach the emergency airfield in the Shetlands. The crew turned for Sweden and jettisoned all surplus equipment, including McKie's navigation aids. Eventually, the pilot, Carey, put down in a bog.

During the crew's interrogation they were asked why they had violated the airspace of a neutral country; they blamed the leader's faulty navigation. Carey went on to explain that the flares they had fired were to draw the aircraft together before leading them away from Sweden, but they had been ignored. This far-fetched story was accepted. A few weeks later, the crew was repatriated.

Alexander Miller McKie was born on July 17 1922 at Crewe and educated at the local grammar school. He joined the RAF as an aircraft apprentice in 1938 and trained as an aircraft fitter. In 1942 he was accepted for pilot training.

After training in Canada as a navigator, in 1943 he joined No 106 Squadron, flying Lancasters during the most intensive period of the bombing campaign. During the Battle of Berlin, McKie flew eight operations to the "Big City". He also flew on the Nuremburg raid on the night of March 30, when 96 bomber crews were lost, the highest casualty rate on a single raid.

After 30 operations McKie was awarded a DFM. He and his crew were due to be rested, but they volunteered to join No 617 (Dam Buster) Squadron, which they did in June 1944. They attacked the secret weapon sites in the Pas de Calais, and on an operation over Brest a burst of flak wounded McKie and his pilot, "Bunny" Lee, who did not return to operations.

After his Swedish expedition McKie flew two more operations with 617 and at the end of the war was involved in the repatriation of PoWs. After a brief period as a navigator in Transport Command, he left the RAF in 1946.

McKie then worked in the pharmaceutical industry and did not retire until he was 76 years old, when he became a consultant.

He was an active member of the 617 Squadron Association, rarely missing their annual reunions. In 1977, with three other association members, he attended a reunion of the Tirpitz Association held near Coblenz, where they had a memorable time as guests of the former enemy.

Alex McKie died on August 1. His first marriage, to Kathleen Jones, was dissolved in 1969. In 1974 he married Rene Sampson, who survives him with two sons of his first marriage.
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Antipodean Andy · Aug 28, 2008

A flying career that took him through the roughest time of the bomber campaign. Amazing. RIP.

Brian S · Aug 29, 2008

F/Lt. A.M. McKie

I have come across Reference to McKie and some of his crew.

WO 208/3324 - 2736 A.M. McKie.- 2737 G.A. Witherwick - 2738 L.W. Franks - 2739 D.H. Maclennan - 2740 A.E. Young.

WO 208/3325 - 2786 D.W. Carey.

WO 208/3326 - 2940 W.A. Rupert (R.C.A.F.)

It would be interesting to read McKies Report just to see if any were injured causing a delay in their return from Sweden.

Kitty · Aug 29, 2008

Oh dear thats another one

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