A Halifax Pilot’s North West Europe Distinguished Flying Cross group awarded to Flight Lieutenant R.R. McKenney, Royal Canadian Air Force, later Royal Air Force who had flown with 427 Squadron in the skies over Italy and then later over North West Europe during which on a raid to Stuttgart on the night of 25/26th July 1944 his aircraft had been hit by gunfire from another bomber. He would later survive the writing off of his Halifax when returning to R.A.F. Leeming after losing an engine shortly after take off. The visibility poor, he misaligned the aircraft with the runway and running on to the grass, hit a mound of earth irreparably damaging the undercarriage. He would be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in The London Gazette of 27th March 1945 and surviving the war would later serve in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.
Group of 8: Distinguished Flying Cross, GVI 1st type cypher, reverse dated 1945; 1939-1945 Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal 1939-1945 with Overseas Service Bar; General Service Medal 1918-1962, EIIR Dei.Grat bust; 1 Clasp: Malaya; (FLT. LT. R.R. MCKENNEY. R.A.F.) Mounted loose for wear.
Condition: Mounted loose for wear, Good Very Fine
Along with matching ribbon bar with maple leaf device on the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal ribbon.
Ray Roaldo McKenney saw service as a Halifax Pilot with 427 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force flying in the Italian theatre of operations and over North West Europe after 6th June 1944.
McKenney would take part in raid on Stuttgart on 25th/26th July 1944 where 37 Lancasters and 140 Halifaxes attacked the city doing significant damage. It was during this flight that his aircraft was hit by gunfire from another bomber, but that they landed at Silverston rather than their home base of Leeming upon their return.
Flying Halifax MZ867 on the night of 27th November 1944 he took off from Leeming and circled the airfield to await all the squadron aircraft becoming airborne. After an hour the starboard inner engine failed and was shut down and with the aircraft being unable to maintain height or speed with the bomb load the crew abandoned the trip. On their return to Leeming, visibility was poor and McKenney failed to line up with the runway properly, the aircraft soon running on to the grass after landing. It could not be stopped before it struck a mound of earth that protected the airfield gunnery range butts and lost its undercarriage. Suffering significant damage the aircraft was assessed to be beyond repair.
Ray Roaldo McKenney would be awarded a non-immediate Distinguished Flying Cross in the London Gazette of 27th March 1945, and surviving the war would still be serving as a Flight Lieutenant in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency
During his time with 427 Squadron, he had flown under the command of Wing Commander C.J. Cribb DFC, Wing Commander E.M. Bryson and Wing Commander V.F. Ganderton DSO DFC, the Squadron completing 3328 sorties in all during the war with it’s members being awarded over 170 orders and decorations during the conflict.
He lived until the age of 85, passing away in Mississauga, Ontario on 26th October 2006.
