Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Ian Neil b: 11 Jun 1920 r: 27 Dec 1969 d: 25 Aug 1987
CBE – 13 Jun 1964, DFC – 15 May 1942.
Plt Off (P): 21 Oct 1939, Plt Off: 21 Oct 1940, Fg Off (WS): 21 Oct 1940, Flt Lt (WS): 21 Oct 1941, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Jul 1945, Flt Lt: 21 May 1946 [21 Apr 1943], Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1947, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1951, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1958, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1964.
28 Apr 1938: Flight Cadet, 'A' Sqn, RAF College.
21 Oct 1939: Granted a Permanent Commission
21 Oct 1939 Pilot, No 141 Sqn (Blenheim/Defiant).
3-28 Apr 1941: Attached to No 1 Air Delivery Flight
2 May 1941: Pilot, No 260 Sqn
18-28 Jun 1941: Attached to No 80 Sqn
xx xxx 1941: Flight Commander, No 260 Sqn
xx Feb 1942: Officer Commanding, No 94 Sqn. (Kittyhawk I) (Western Desert)
xx Jun 1943: Officer Commanding, No 185 Sqn. (Spitfire Vc) (Malta)
27 Jan 1944: Air Staff, HQ No 10 Group.
xx May 1944: Officer Commanding, No 131 Sqn. (Spitfire VII) (UK)
17 Oct 1944: Staff Officer, Post Hostilities Planning
xx xxx 1945: Staff, Directorate/Deputy Directorate of Accident Prevention.
xx xxx 1948: War Studies Lecturer, RAF College.
3 May 1951: Assistant Air Attaché, Paris.
xx xxx 1953: CFI, RAF College.
xx xxx 1957: ?
5 Jun 1959: Superintendent of Flying, A. & A.E.E.
16 Jul 1962: Officer Commanding, RAF Binbrook.
19 Oct 1964: SASO, HQ No 38 Group.
26 Jul 1967: Air Attaché, Paris.
At Cranwell he attained the rank of Flight Cadet Corporal, graduating shortly after the outbreak of WW2. On 19 July 1940, he carried out a forced-landing in Defiant L6983 following a convoy patrol in which six other aircraft were lost. He was uninjured in the crash but his gunner, Sergeant J F Wise, baled out and was killed, presumably drowned. Attended JSSC, Staff College, CFS and Long Finance Course.
In 1965, following UDI in Rhodesia, he was appointed to command the Zambian Expedition and Zambian Oil Lift. Following retirement, he acted as Military Liaison to both Rolls Royce and Bristol Composite Material Ltd (1970 - 77) and from 1977 until 1986/7 to Galt Composites Ltd.MacDOUGALL, Ian Neil, F/L (33491, Royal Air Force) - No.260 Squadron - awarded as per London Gazette dated 15 May 1942.
"This officer has been engaged on operational flying since October 1939, and took part in numerous sorties, both by day and by night, whilst operating from this country. In the Middle East he has performed much valuable work, leading his flight and sometimes the squadron with great skill and zeal on low-level machine-gunning attacks. Throughout he has displayed tremendous keenness and set a high standard, His great powers of leadership have been outstanding."
(Source - Royal Air Force Quarterly, September 1942)
AIR 2/8915 has a different text, slightly more detailed and differing as to when his career began.
"This officer has been engaged on operational flying since September 1939. Whilst flying in Blenheim and Defiant aircraft, Flight Lieutenant MacDougall took part in numerous sorties, both by day and by night, when operating from the United Kingdom. In the Middle East he has performed much valuable work, leading his flight and sometimes the squadron with great skill and zeal on low-level machine-gunning attacks. Throughout he has displayed tremendous keenness and set a high standard, His great powers of leadership have been outstanding."
This page was last updated on 01/06/23©
A R D Macdonell