Surname:	MacPherson
Forename(s):	John Duncan
Rank:	Sergeant (Flight Engineer)
Service number:	1823549
Regiment:	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 431 Squadron (Iroquois)
Date of death:	13 May 1944 Aged 19
Place of death:	near Waterloo, Belgium
Buried Commemorated	Brussels Town Cemetery, Evere Kingussie War Memorial

Background

John was born about 1924. His parents were Alexander MacPherson (1896-1973) and Elizabeth Grace MacPherson(1900-1974) both of whom are buried in Kingussie Cemetery. John and his family lived at 5 Garraline Terrace, Kingussie. Prior to his war service he was employed by Messrs. C.C.Stuart, grocers and wine merchants, Kingussie and was a member of the A.T.C.

John was the younger brother of (Elizabeth) Isobel Harling, BEM. m.s. MacPherson. Isobel was born in 1923 and she died in Kingussie in 2023. She was a WREN during World War Two. At the time of her marriage in 1946, she was based at the Royal Naval Military Hospital, Invergordon which was also the residence of her husband Stanley Roy Harling who was also in the Royal Navy.

In 2020 Isobel Harling received the British Empire Medal for her commitment to the Kingussie branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland. For over 70 years Isobel had tended the graves of nine members of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, Force K6, who are buried in Kingussie Cemetery. The loss of her own brother, John, influenced her dedication to the graves of the Indian soldiers.

War Record

John’s aircraft was a Handley Page Halifax III Serial No MZ629 (Markings SE-B) of 431 Squadron Bomber Command (RCAF 431 Sqdn), took off from Station, Croft, Yorkshire late on 12 May and crashed 13 May 1944. All seven crew members were killed with one member (S.M.Preston) on his first trip. Preston and MacPherson are buried side by side in Brussels Town Cemetery.

The operation was to the railway yards at Leuven/ Louvain involving 120 aircraft with 5 losses (4.2%) sustained. A more accurate bombing raid than the previous night with considerable damage to the yards. According to the local report, repairs were still being carried out some six months later. Civilian casualties were heavy with 160 deaths and 208 injured. Part of the local University, 8 factories, 4 convents and a church were also damaged.

Operation Record Book at The National Archive, ref AIR 27/1858, describes the events of the day John did not return.

John is also commemorated on the International Bomber Command Center Memorial – see https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/217621/