Missing Aircrew Reports -The Full Story

[Laurent Rizzotti]

1) Kaki, a MACR was just what his name indicates: a Missing Air Crew Report.

MACR were issued for aircraft lost far away from any combat zone, like for example heavy bombers disappearing during a ferry flight from USA to Africa via South America.

On the other hand, all combat losses will not generate a MACR. An US fighter hit by Flak or enemy aircraft and which pilot bailed out over his own lines or even crashed to death into own lines will not have a MACR. In the Pacific a pilot or crew picked up by a Dumbo floatplane, even deep inside enemy territory, won't need a MACR either.

MACR were never designed to list aircraft or even aircrew losses, they were designated to gather all documentation about aircraft having gone missing, to try to find their place and loss and to identify them or the wreck if it was lost.

2) Sadly for us in all archives around the world files will disappear, decay or be stolen. I hope that numerization will help both to preserve the existing archives from further degradation, and to protect it to the bigger hazards.... like fire... or an administrative decision to dump all "these old papers".