The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (409163) Sergeant Alton Ronald Mackay, No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (409163) Sergeant Alton Ronald Mackay, No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Second World War.

409163 Sergeant Alton Ronald Mackay, No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Killed in flying accident 27 January 1943

Story delivered 2 June 2017

Today we pay tribute to Sergeant Alton Ronald Mackay.

Born in Brisbane on 18 March 1917, Alton Mackay was the son of John Patrick and Lydia Mackay.

When Alton was young, his parents separated. He grew up with his mother in Queensland, and attended the Southport School. A keen sportsman, he played football and tennis, and was a keen golfer and swimmer.

Following school, Mackay worked as a clerk for the Bowdon Pearling Company on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, where his mother was a domestic.

When Thursday Island became the military headquarters for the Torres Strait and a base for Australian and US forces, the civilians were evacuated from the island. Mackay and his mother went to Carnegie, Victoria, to live with Mackay’s aunt.

On 19 July 1941, Mackay enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force.

He commenced training as a pilot and in June 1942 embarked from Sydney for overseas service. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Mackay was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers, who, throughout the course of the war, joined squadrons based in Britain.

Arriving in Britain in late August, Mackay undertook further specialist training before his posting in January 1943 to No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force. No. 611 Squadron was a Spitfire squadron based at RAF station Biggin Hill.

On the morning of 27 January, Mackay and fellow Australian, Sergeant John Gilbert, were participating in camera gun practice. Shortly after take-off Mackay’s Spitfire stalled mid-air, colliding with Gilbert’s. The Spitfires crashed near Westerham Waterworks and Gilbert and Mackay were killed.

Mackay was 25 years old. He had only been with the squadron for a few weeks.

His body was buried alongside that of John Gilbert in the St Mary’s Cray Cemetery at Orpington.

After receiving news of the death of her son, Mackay’s mother joined the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force, serving as an aircraftwoman.

Mackay’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among some 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sergeant Alton Ronald Mackay who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section