Maclean, Donald 'Don'
Donald H. "Don" Maclean
OC B Flight
Squadron Leader 457 Squadron Darwin
Number 404652
Born December 18th 1916 in Strathfield, New South Wales.
Don was born in Strathfield, Sydney on 18th December 1916. At the age of nine the family moved to New Guinea and he was educated at the Rabaul primary school before returning to Sydney to attend Hurlstone Park Agricultural High School. Back at Rabaul he became a gold prospector and learnt to fly. At the start of the war he joined the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles but was soon transferred to the RAAF, enlisted 11/10/1940. After training he was sent to England with 457 squadron and stayed there in 1941-42. During this time he shot down three enemy aircraft.
On the squadron returning to Darwin 16th January 1943 he shot down three Japanese aircraft in the next twelve months, and also had three probables and five damaged. The official RAAF war history records that on 7th May 1943, 457 squadron had its "first Australian blooding" when Flight Lieutenant Maclean and Flight Sergeant McDowell made a close range attack in their Spitfires on a Japanese bomber 24 km from Darwin. "It plunged into the sea burning fiercely" the history laconically notes.
One of the few who made it through the war with No 457 Squadron. Tour expired in December 1943 and posted to No 2 OUT at Mildura in December 1943. B Flight leader from 28/6/42 succeeding K.E. James and relinquishing his command to J. H. Smithson on 9 th Dec 1943. Returned to the squadron in August 1945 posted from No 8 OUT to temporarily lead the unit until disbandment. On 28/10/45 posted to No 2 PD.
Don was discharged on the 6/2/1946.Following the war he returned to New Britain to rebuild the family plantation where his father and elder brother had been killed by the Japanese. He sold the plantation in 1958 and then worked for the Papua New Guinea administration in Rabaul and Medang before returning to Sydney in 1975, becoming Air Force Association head until retirement in 1978.
Donald was, for many years, an active Rotarian and RSL member in both New Guinea and Sydney. He died in North Turramurra on 27th November 1998 and is survived by his second wife Cecile, his children Maxwell, Serena, Christine and Sonja and nine grandchildren.
Edited - David Hamilton
