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Wng Cmdr Ken Mackenzie
Ken Mackenzie flew 2 ops on Hurricanes with No.43 Sqn before joining No.501 Sqn based at Kenley during the Battle of Britain, again on Hurricanes. During his time with No.501 Sqn, he claimed 7 victories, with a further 4 shared and 3 damaged. In the most remarkable of these, Ken was following what he thought was a damaged Me109 down to sea level. Realising the aircraft was not damaged, he deliberately struck the tailplane of the enemy aircraft with the wing of his Hurricane (V6799), forcing his opponent to crash. He was subsequently awarded the DFC on 25th October 1940. After this, he joined No.247 Sqn flying night fighter Hurricanes shooting down 10 aircraft in one year. He was shot down on the 29th of September 1941 after claiming an He111 bomber in a night attack planned to target Lannion airfield in Brittany. Ken was engaged by heavy flak from ground defences and completed this sortie by ditching in the sea. He paddled to shore in his dinghy and was subsequently captured and taken prisoner. Ken MacKenzie was posted to various camps before ending up in Stalag Luft 111, Sagan, and was finally repatriated to the UK in October 1944. He was posted to 53 OTU, Kirton-In-Lindsey on 19th December 1945 as an instructor and on 17th June 1945, posted to 61 OTU, Keevil, as a Flight Commander. After the war on the 1st January 1953, Ken was awarded the Air Force Cross. Retired from the RAF on 1st July 1967 with the rank of Wing Commander. Sadly, Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie died on 4th June 2009
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Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It was to become the greatest aerial conflict in aviation history. Always outnumberd, the valiant young pilots fought with a determined fierceness and intensity, and never once did their spirit waiver. By the end of September the battle was won, but many had made the ultimate sacrifice. |
Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor. On August 12th, 1940 the Luftwaffe turned their full attention to the RAF's forward fighter bases and radar stations with the intent to obliterate them once and for all. The outcome of the Battle of Britain hung in the balance. It was late in the afternoon of Sunday, 18 August 1940. The previous week had seen the hardest days of fighting in the Battle of Britain as the young pilots of the RAF Fighter Command had engaged in deadly duels with the Luftwaffe. Bystanders gazed cautiously upwards at the weaving contrails in the clear blue skies over southern England as they anxiously awaited the outcome. For just a moment, all was at peace: A gentle breeze floated across the airfield at RAF Hornchurch as the exhausted young pilots of 54 Squadron could rest for a few brief minutes and reflect on their own previous two encounters with the enemy that day. The Luftwaffe had thrown everything at them in the past few days, but today had been the toughest of them all. And then the calm was shattered by the shrill tones of the alarm, the Luftwaffe had launched another huge raid of over 300 aircraft across the Channel, and it looked like Hornchurch was the target. Hornchurch Scramble, portrays the moment as 54 Squadron's commanding officer, Squadron Leader James Leathart, taxis out at Hornchurch to prepare for take-off. Quickly following, the aircraft of New Zealander Colin Gray is guided out from dispersal by his ground crew. Gray would claim 3 Bf110s in the encounter and would eventually become the top scoring New Zealand Ace of the war. |
The Greatest Day by Robert Taylor. Sunday 15 September 1940 and Luftwaffe supremo Hermann Goering believed victory over the RAF was at hand. Today, he decreed, would be the day that his 'glorious' Luftwaffe would finally break the back of Fighter Command's stubborn resistance. Or so he believed. In response to a massed formation of enemy aircraft detected heading for London, Air Vice Marshal Keith Park commanding 11 Group scrambled his squadrons. He also requested that 12 Group bring Douglas Bader's 'Big Wing' down from Duxford. Every available pilot and machine was committed. Prime Minister Winston Churchill turned to Park and asked "What other reserves have we" "There are none", Park replied. Bader now had five squadrons racing south, meeting what remained of the enemy on the outskirts of London. With a successful morning behind them the RAF fighters raced back to re-fuel and re-arm. Just after 14.00 hrs another enemy battle group was observed and this time the formations were even larger. Bader's Wing was scrambled once more. |
| Wng Cmdr Ken Mackenzie Aircraft details |
 Hurricane Manufacturer : Hawker Built : 14533 | Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wng Cmdr Ken Mackenzie Squadron details |
No.247 Sqn RAF Country : UK Disbanded 31st December 1963 Known Codes : , HP, ZY, | No.247 Sqn RAF China-British Rise from the east | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No.43 Sqn RAF Country : UK Known Codes : , FT, NQ, SW, | No.43 Sqn RAF Gloria finis - Glory is the end | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No.501 Sqn RAF Country : UK Disbanded 10th March 1957 Known Codes : , SD, RAB, ZH, | No.501 Sqn RAF County of Gloucester, City of Bristol (Auxiliary) Nil time - Fear nothing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Known Victory Claims - Ken Mackenzie | |||||||
DATE | PILOT | UNIT | JG | CLAIMED | LOCATION | TIME | FRONT |
| 05/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 07/10/1940 | Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn | Me109 | English Channel | Western Front | ||
| 12/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Ju88 | Western Front | |||
| 25/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 25/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 25/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 27/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 29/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 30/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 30/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 08/10/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 15/11/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 15/11/1940 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Me109 | Western Front | |||
| 07/07/1941 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | Ju88 | Western Front | |||
| 29/09/1941 | Wing Commander Ken Mackenzie | No.501 Sqn RAF | He111 | Western Front |
Known Claims : 15
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