Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Hello all,
First of all please let me know if I should have posted this elsewhere on the forum.
I've been researching the story of Murdo 'Doc' McLeod, a Kittyhawk pilot with 3 Sqdn RAAF. He disappeared on 3/8/43 while strafing roads in Sicily and reappeared on the 17th at Istres airbase in southern France, where he was mortally wounded by the U.S. air raid that took place on that day.

I know quite a lot about Doc's rather tragic story but the key to the mystery of how he got from the Mount Etna area to Marseilles still eludes me. Presumably he was shot down by flak, taken prisoner, and for some reason probably flown to Istres where both German and Italian airforces had a presence.

Any help, suggestions or information on this story or other instances of prisoners being transported by axis air forces would be a great help and much appreciated.

Ian Stevenson

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

The probable explanation was that he was brought back by a transport aircraft to Istres (many transport units were based here). Istres was used to ferry by air paratroops to Sicily, even if I am not aware that such flights took place in August 1943 (main moves were in the second decade of July just after the Allied landings in Sicily). But it is probable such flights continued to Italian air bases.

One possibility was that he was captured by German paratroops in Sicily and sent to a paratroops HQ that was still in Istres ?

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Hi,
Interesting and tragic destiny.
My guess is that this pilot was rescued at sea and the ship was sailing to Marseille, then, given as prisonner to the air force based at Istres. It seems more probable for me.

S~
Olivier Bacca.

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Thanks for the reply Laurent,
Transport aircraft were certainly still operating between Istres and Sicily at that date. It's just that, at that time, most allied prisoners would be moved quickly away from the lines but by road or rail further North in Italy, there was no need to transport them by plane to a base much further away. What's stranger still is that the German authorities, normally very good at reporting POW's to the Red Cross, did not do this in Doc's case until much later after his death.....
I'll try to look into the poossible paratroop link.
Ian Stevenson

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Thanks for the suggestion, which, funnily enough, we hadn't considered at all before now. Regular Axis maritime links between France and Sicily at that time were almost non-existant because of the overwhelming presence of allied forces, both sea and air but it is of course possible that he was taken on board by a passing vessel.
I have no idea how to research or verify thaat possibility though !?
Ian Stevenson

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

There was a german submarine base in Toulon with several operating ships at sea during this period. Two subs with dates corresponding :

U-593 Gerd Kelbling 27 Jul, 1943 Toulon 8 Aug, 1943 Toulon
this one was close to Corsica on 3rd August

U-371 Waldemar Mehl 22 Jul, 1943 Toulon 11 Aug, 1943 Toulon
this one was had no position recorded on 3rd August, its patrol area was off Algeria and Tunisia.

Other U-boote were still at sea after the 17th ; so its seems that no U-Boot was involved in your case.


S~
Olivier Bacca

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Thanks Olivier,
After reflecting on the possibility of Doc having ditched in the sea, we think this very unlikely, he was strafing roads at low altitude at least 30 km from the coast when he went down. presumably hit by flak or light arms fire, he probably wouldn't have had enough height to make it to the sea.
Thanks for your help anyway.
Ian Stevenson

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Hi all,
Doc McLeod was hit by flak and "ditched" his Kittyhawk FL291 two miles off Catania.
Henk.

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

Dear Henk,
Thanks for the message and the very interesting information but the unit's ORB lists Doc as flying FL309 on the day it was lost.
Could there be some confusion ? If not, could you tell me the source of the information. I'd be really interested in discussing this with you, don't hesitate to contact off-line if you prefer.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Ian Stevesnon

Re: Doc McLeod - Sicily to France
 

henk,
I just reviewed the ORB and FL291 was the aircraft flown by Sgt. Howell-Price who did, effectively ditch in the sea off Catania on the same day.
Unfortunately, it's not our man !
Thanks anyway,
Ian Stevenson