David McKinney (1910 - 1983)

Born 19 Aug 1910 in Knockbrack, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland

Ancestors

Died 1 Jan 1983 at age 72 in County Donegal, Ireland

Biography

David was born in 1910. He is the son of John McKinney and Bella Moore.

David enlisted in WWII and was a Rear Gunner in a Bomber (perhaps a Halifax). On one mission they were shot down but the pilot managed to land in the sea possibly in the English Channel. They managed to scramble out and get on top of the fuselage where they lit a cigarette. David is reported as saying that they wanted to get them smoked because if they were to sink the fags would get wet. In due course they were rescued by a patrol boat and lived to fight another day. David told of a mission where they shot down three enemy aircraft. He said when the other aircraft were directly behind he let fly with his machine gun and in the process three aircraft disappeared. At another time he found himself on board a Navy ship off the coast of Egypt when a merchant ship sailed past. Someone on it shouted “go home McKinney” and the person turned out to be someone who lived half a mile from where he lived at Knockbrack.

David McKinney died 1983 aged 73.

Sources

• https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1910/01560/1629954.pdf BIRTH

• W Blair