Rapport de debriefing de John MacKay après son passage en France occupée [9th Air Force - USAF]

[publié le 21/04/2023]

[merci à Jérôme Grosse pour ce document mentionné également par l'association Archives Aéro 56,

et peut-être repris en partie dans ce récit]

[transcriptions]

[rapport "au propre" - ndlr]

[1]

John A

Capt MacKay - 0-791129 1347

MIA - 12 June 44

2 Sep 44 428/414F+R B Cys

I landed beside a farmhouse, 3 mil S Mauron by 12 June 1944. The farmer came ?p.  to me immediately and helped me destroy my equipment ?? my ???f col??? had crashed nearby. Eight miles W Neant (   ) & ?I asked a farmer for food, and was given civilian clothes. He sent his son off for help and he returned with a teacher who spoke poor english. I was put in he left [with?] a mattress, pillow and blanket,  my twisted knee was bound. I remained here until 14 June and received a bad ID card.

I was then moved to the Chateau du Lou, which was considered a safe place, and stayed here until 7 July. The people were very nice. I had my own room, a phonograph and good food. I was also given more clothes. Here I was in the care of François de Grées  former political editor of a Rennes newspaper and now working in the underground. A general in French aviation was also hiding here.

On or about 7 July, the chief of the patriots at Mauron (      ) who was a Vichy official, said [2] that there were allied paratroopers near Vannes. An invasion was expected there in July. He asked if I would like to join them and I agreed. the host gave me a raincoat, and I set off.

With a Resistance member from St Brieuc I went to la Trinité Porpoet [sic] where I met a lawyer, who was in charge, Pieriot (sic). I went to a farmhouse to meet two French paratroopers, one of them was Canadian, ans then traveled three days to Plumelec. There we went to a farmhouse with a transmitter and receiving set. An hour later we were attacked by the Germans and the militia. From then on it was a game of hide and seek in the brush waiting for the invasion that never came.

André a young boy in the Secret Service took charge when the ??? men were shot. We were  S ??? for two weeks and left our wounded with the farmers. Then we moved 3 mi N Josselyn. The maquis C.O. here was the Duke who lives in the Chateau [3] [a?] Josselyn. His lovely blond duchess was 29 yrs old and had four children. Then we heard that the Americans were in Rennes. Lt Taylor, a 19 yr old paratrooper from Bordeaux and a French captain formed the maquis with a battalion and received General Koenig order to attack. When we reached Josselyn, however, the Germans had already left. I joined the Americans at Vannes on 6 August 1944.

[appendices D sur le matériel utilisé pendant l'évasion]

[1]

SECRET

APPENDIX “D” TO E AND ? REPORT NO.

No., Rank, Name: -  Mac Kay, J.A. CAPT 0-791129

Unit: - 428 FB.S. - 414 FBF.

Suggestions for improvement of escape equipment and training come largely from those who make use of them. Your report and comments will help others to evade capture or to escape.

1. AIDS BOX

1. Did you use your aids box? Yes
2. If not, why?
3. If you used it, state briefly the circumstances in which you used each item, for example, “While hiding in woods for two nights”.

Horlicks tablets.

Chocolate or Peanut Bar.

Milk (tube). No label???

Benzadrine tablets (fatigue).

Halazone tablets (water purifier).

Matches. * Cigs

Adhesive tape. * Blisters

Chewing gum. *

Water bottle.

Compass. *

Sewing kit.

4. Did any of the above items prove unsatisfactory?

Corsets - wither taste

5. How did you finally dispose of the box?

yes.

6. Can you suggest any way in which the contents of the aids box might be changed to make it of greater use, bearing in mind that the size of it cannot be larger?

??is type of water bottle

2. PURSE

1. Did you carry a purse? yes

State color of stripes and letters. ?

If NOT, State why not.

2. Did you use the purse? yes

(over)

[2]

3. If so, which of the following items in the purse did you use?

Maps. Which ones? *

Compass.

File (hacksaw). Lost

Foreign currency. State countries and amounts. FRANCE -

How did you spend the money? Amt, Unknown

4. How did you dispose of:-

Maps. Buried

Compass. Lost

File (hacksaw). Lost

Surplus currency. Food + Wine

3. Were you issued any extra compasses or further aids to evasion?

No

 4. PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS

1. Did you carry passport-size photographs? Yes, offoox - 8’.

If so, how many?

2. Did you use them? Yes

5. LECTURES

1. Were you lectured on evasion and escape? Yes

State WHEN, WHEN and by WHOM.

Warmwall, Dorset - March ?

2. Did you find the lectures of value?

No - except moving fast

3. Do you have any suggestions to make which, from your experience, you feel will help other evaders and escapers?

Carry your as’ into Germany

[ordres (nouvelle affectation?) - ndlr]

1347

RESTRICTED

HEADQUARTERS

NINTH AIR FORCE

APO 698, US ARmy

1 September 1944.

SUBJECT: Orders.

TO: CAPTAIN JOHN A MACKAY, 0791129, 474th Fighter Bomber group.

You will proceed on or about 1 September 1944 from Headquarters, Ninth Air Force to the United States Special Reception Center, 63 Brook Street, London W-1, England. TDN by NT, mil acft or rail. 60-136 P 432-02 A 212/50425.

By command of Major General VANDENBERG:

V H STRAHN

Brig Gen, USA,

C of S.

OFFICIAL:

C R BIRBARI

Lt Col, A.C.,

Asst Adj Gen,

Sq - 428

MIA 12 June

UK-2 Sept

9th AF

RESTRICTED

[appendice B - renseignements recueillis pendant l'évasion - ndlr]

SECRET - AMERICAN

MOST SECRET - BRITISH

APPENDIX “B” TO E AND E REPORT NO.

List all military information which you observed or were told while evading. Give fullest possibility details. (Airfields, troops encampments, coastal and interior defenses, AA batteries, radar installations, troop movements, results of allied bombing, location of enemy factories and ammunition dumps, enemy and civilian morale, etc., etc.,.....)

Country occupied now by our troops 

[questionnaire de pertes - ndlr]

P. 38

E & E CASUALTY QUESTIONNAIRE

Date, time and approximate location of plane crash and landing.

07 50 - 12-6-44

3 Mi South

Mauron France

Nature and extent of damage to plane when source bailed out.

Was it on fire, etc?

Glysol fire - at [eagles?]

At approximately what altitude did source bail out? 5000

Were any of the crew injured or killed before the plane crashed?

No

What members of the crew bailed out? Did their parachute open?

Self

Did the plane explode on striking the ground? Yes

Did source see any other members of the crew dead or alive after reaching the ground?

*

Did he receive any information from others as to whether any other members of the crew were dead or alive? If so give details furnished by his informant and whether the other crew members were identified by name or otherwise.

*

Did source examine the wreckage of the plane? If so, what was its condition?

No

If the plane crashed in water how far was the plane from land and what means was source rescued and what life rafts, wreckages etc., remained on the surface that would have assisted other personal to keep afloat.

What is source’s opinion as to the fate of the other crew members and his reasons for his opinion?

[questionnaire général au personnel s'étant échappé des territoires occupés - ndlr]

[1]

SECRET

HEADQUARTERS

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

P/W and X Detachment

Military Intelligence Service

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SERVICE PERSONNEL

EVADING OR ESCAPING FROM ENEMY OCCUPIED COUNTRIES

TARGET: D/BRR ET MEEN PLOEMEL

MacKay John / Capt 0-791129 Date mission in action: 12-6-44

(Name) (Rank) (ASN) Date arrived in UK: 16 August

83 (No. of missions)

128 FB 414 FB

(Squadron) (Group)

MEMBERS OF CREW: (Please list names next to positions) Indicate what happened to each man and how you know

PILOT Mac Kay, John A. CAPT

CO-PILOT

NAVIGATOR

BOMBARDIER

RADIO OPERATOR

TOP TURRET GUNNER

BALL TURRET GUNNER

WAIST GUNNER

WAIST GUNNER

TAIL GUNNER

----------------------------------

Decorations: D.F. C. A.M. +15 OLD

Date of Birth: 28-1-1920

Private Address: 23 Brown ave. St Albans, Vermont

Length of Service: Enlisted 17-12-41

Job as Civilian: Private Sector

From what field did you take off? Take off time.

Wormwell - 07 30 Affooks

Were all secret papers and equipment destroyed? Yes

Were you wounded? Give details.

No

Did you pay your guides? If so, how much?

Do you speak FRENCH? No SPANISH? No GERMAN? No ITALIAN? No OTHER LANGUAGE? No

Did you have identity papers Yes

(over)

[2]

Have you been questioned before on your escape or evasion? If so, where and by whom?

Yes - OSS 12 Army Group

G-2 4th Armored Div. CIC IX A.F.

Have you given any one a written report on your experiences. Where and when?

No

Did you report on your operation? If so, where and to whom?

Did you sign a security certificate warning you against talking about your escape or evasion? If so, Where and When? No

Date of arrival in Spain:

Date of arrival Gibraltar:

Place and date of departure for UK. By sea or air.

List names of American or British personnel believed to have been arrested by Germans. 

List names of American or British personnel believed to be evading.

[notes pour le rapport détaillé? - ndlr]

[1] (4)

no bridge no funeral for Prisoners left there. Sat. Sunday  ????ed

?eg got out dropped jeep

I leaded for Vannes. ??s 

heard U.S. at Nantes but U.S. in Vannes before us

Bayonet them S la Chappelle

Believed I was U.S. officer for at time

gd lives at Vannes spent night 

Took Taylor to G2 of 4th armed

??let 4 info By jeep to 8th

Corps no to 474 tac so

to 9th AF. Capt furia intergaled

? no to group. 8 august

Finally got worried about written orders Gave OSS at 12th ??ay

Gp Info on paratroopers ?

?ames back. ? Sg still

all bawled up about ops

got 5t days London leave came

to Brooke Street for clothes.

So to group & blew

there letter home etc so back here

es. and orders

[2] (3)

lawyer Periol (sic) in charge

& farm to meet ??? ? paratroopers

(the canadian) overland 3 days to

Plumelec to a farm with 

transmitter & receiving set

?? after attacked G & militia

From there on hide & seek

in bush wan??y for local ID the

local never came. André and ??

SS came in charge when others

slot. through G search

(lt Taylor paratrooper here from Bordeaux

19 yrs O.K) Were lazio S Lizio

for 2 weeks with call

well after wounded assured G

farmers we were ??t G Then

on again. w brush 3 ?? Josselin

for a time. Maquis C.O here

a Duke Duchess lovely blond chateau at Josselin

there in tent Picadilly castle 4 days

Heard U.S. in Rennes but no

verification Taylor & Fr capt

got maquis with a battalion

Got Gen Koenig order to attack

with Bren guns on ???

??rst. no to Josselin but

G had already pulled out ??

[3] (2)

bad as in blue ink.

So to Chateau du Lou

Considered safer place here

till little after 4 July till 7 July

Lived at chateau own room

phono good food. Very nice

political Editor of Rennespaper François de

Gressé du Lou now in underground.

Fr aviator general also hiding

here. More clothes here

On or about 7th July Chef of

patriots at Mauron (Vichy official)

said there were 4.5. Brit + Fr

Paratroopers near Vannes

??,din invasion thereon July 

Asked if wanted to join them

So said yes & packed was

given rain coat.

By foot + bike cross

country with Resistance man

from St Brieuc to La Trinité

Porhoet. Here met

[4] (1)

12 June

While dive bombing I got 

caught in my own blast

& caught fire. Bailed out at

5000 ft trouble with ripcord

when was loose.. Landed in

a small field near farmhouse

he came running ?? (A/C 3-400

ft away) helped me burn

equipment in A/C.

Took off cross-country 

in uniform/ 3 mi S of Mauron

open country wound ??

out of hedgerows gun got in

way. So threw away in bad

mistake. about 11:30 hungry

& tired (tursled knee now [bakery?]

slepped to small field to avoid trees)

Saw farmers with dogs chasing

rabbits [trought?] it after

are 8 mil N Neant ?larled to

dodge no hedges so asked

?nt farmer ??? for food with

language card. Gave ?? clean

clothes sent son for camarade

later leader with poor Eng. Put in 

left bound knee gave blanket.

mattress pillow. Here till

14 June got my identity DID Card