Squadron Leader John Noble Mackenzie

John Mackenzie, grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Thomas Mackenzie, was born at Goodwood, Otago on 11 August 1914.

After leaving Otago Boys’ High School in 1932 he went farming in partnership with his father. 
 
In October 1937 Mackenzie left New Zealand to take up a short service commission in the RAF. Having finished his training by early September 1938, he was posted to 41 Squadron, then flying Furies but soon to receive Spitfires. 
 
After flying convoy patrols during the early months of the war the squadron took part in operations over the Dunkirk beaches. Following a rest period in Yorkshire the unit returned south in late July for the Battle of Britain. 
 
On the 29th Mackenzie’s section intercepted German bombers, with fighter escort, over Dover. Attacked by Bf 109’s, his cockpit filled with smoke and glycol fumes and he was unable to bale out because his sliding hood had jammed. Fortunately the Spitfire did not catch fire and he made a successful forced-landing. Damaged by return fire from a bomber on a later sortie the same day Mackenzie again landed safely. 
 
When the Battle of Britain ended on 31 October 1940 he had destroyed five enemy aircraft and damaged a sixth. 
 
In November Mackenzie shot down two more Bf 109’s. He was made flight commander in January 1941, and received the DFC from the King in March. He was then posted away from the unit to become a fighter controller. 
 
Mackenzie went to Singapore in September 1941 to join 488 Squadron as a flight commander. 
 
The squadron had been formed in New Zealand, trained on Harvards, and was to pick up its Brewster Buffalo aircraft in Singapore. The squadron personnel all finally arrived in November and the pilots did a refresher course on Wirraways before converting to Buffalos. They were still not fully operational when the Japanese attacked Malaya on 8 December 1941. When the real fighting came in January 1942 the Buffalo was seriously outclassed by its Japanese opponents. 
 
By 22 January very few of 488’s original twenty aircraft were still serviceable. 
 
The following day Mackenzie took command of the Squadron when the CO, Squadron Leader Wilfrid Clouston, was posted to RAF HQ, Singapore. About this time the remaining Buffalos were augmented by nine Hurricanes but, by the end of February, the situation was such that the aircraft were evacuated to Sumatra. After retreating from airfield to airfield in Java 488’s remaining aircraft were given to 605 Squadron and the six pilots who remained behind with them were eventually captured. The other personnel embarked on a ship bound for Fremantle. 
 
Mackenzie arrived back in New Zealand in April 1942 and was given command of 14 Squadron, then forming at Ohakea with personnel from 488. In August he was made CO of the Fighter Operational Conversion Unit at Ohakea, and remained there until June 1943, when he returned to Britain. After taking a gunnery course Mackenzie went as CO of the Gunnery and Bombing Squadron at an Operational Training Unit. 
 
He returned to operations in April 1944, when he took command of 64 Squadron flying bomber-escorts, making attacks on enemy shipping and maintaining patrols to intercept any enemy aircraft crossing the English coastline. 
 
Mackenzie returned to New Zealand in September 1944 and held a series of RNZAF appointments before returning to the RAF in August 1946. He retired in October 1957 and returned finally to New Zealand. 
 
John Mackenzie passed away at Balclutha on the 28th March 1993.