DFM MCEVOY

A particularly fine Second War ‘immediate’ D.F.M. group of five awarded to Pilot Officer D. R. ‘Don’ McEvoy, Royal Canadian Air Force, an exceptional Air Gunner in 425 (Alouette) Squadron. Noted on his R.C.A.F. enlistment papers as having ‘considerable target shooting’ experience from college days, McEvoy honed his skills to good effect, one newspaper report crediting him with the destruction of four enemy aircraft. Sadly, in yet another close encounter with a night fighter in a sortie to France on 15 June 1944, he was one of two members of his crew who failed to exit their stricken Halifax. This being particularly poignant given that he had survived a parachute descent from his plummeting aircraft just a few months previous

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. officially named to: CAN/R.165361. Sgt. D. R. McEvoy. R.C.A.F.

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver, mounted for display, good very fine.

D.F.M. London Gazette 29 August 1944:

The original recommendation states: ‘Whilst returning from an operation against Acheres, France, on the night of 7-8 June 1944, the Halifax bomber in which Sergeant McEvoy was Mid-Upper Gunner was attacked by an enemy fighter. With cool determination, and highly commendable skill, Sergeant McEvoy returned fire so effectively that the enemy aircraft was destroyed.
On the night of 12-13 June, whilst returning from a raid on Cambrai, France, Sergeant McEvoy again displayed outstanding courage and devotion to duty when his aircraft was once more attacked by an enemy fighter. By his skilful directions to the pilot on this occasion, he not only prevented damage to his aircraft and possible injuries to the crew, but subsequently succeeded in destroying the enemy aircraft, which was seen to hit the ground and explode.
I consider that this Non-Commissioned Officer’s determination, skill and fine offensive spirit fully merit the award of an immediate Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Donald Ralph McEvoy was born in Midland, Ontario on 18 April 1923 and was educated at St. Dominic’s School and Baker Business College, prior to taking up work with General Motors at Oshawa.

Having then enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in May 1942, he qualified as an Air Gunner and was embarked for the U.K. in September 1943. Posted to 425 (Alouette) Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of R.A.F. Tholthorpe, Yorkshire, in January 1943, he completed 19 operational sorties in the lead up to the recommendation for his immediate D.F.M.

Clearly, some of those sorties resulted in high drama, a case in point being a raid on Stuttgart on 15 March 1944, when his aircraft – Halifax LW 417 – was severely damaged by flak, so much so that his skipper ordered the crew to bale out once back over England. All of them survived their parachute descents but McEvoy injured one of his ankles; sadly, their aircraft crashed in Adelaide Street, Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, killing one civilian and injuring others.

His final sortie was flown on the night of 15-16 June 1944, when his aircraft – Halifax LW 715 – was shot down over Calais. Four of his crew were taken P.O.W. and two managed to evade capture, but McEvoy was killed. His appointment to a commission had been approved a fortnight earlier.

Aged 21, McEvoy was the son of Bernard and Inez McEvoy, of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, and he is buried in Marquise Communal Cemetery in the Pas de Calais.