49 Squadron Association : Personnel Index

Personnel Index - Detail

Name

FALCONER

First Names

Donald Buchan

Rank

Wing Commander

Service

RAF

Service Number

87052

Crew Position

Pilot

Posting In

4/41

Posting Out

9/41

Cemetery

Rheinberg War Cemetery

Awarded the DFC and AFC.

Flew 20 operations with 49Sqn.

On the 25th June 1941 P/O Falconer was involved in a very serious Hampden accident whilst landing at RAF Scampton.

Futher details:
P/O Falconer (X3060) and crew were prevented from placing their mines due to thunder and lightning storms west of Terschelling; they returned with their vegetables. One account shows that this aircraft overshot whilst landing back at Scampton at 04.30hrs. It went through a hedge and cartwheeled into a field.

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Sgt J H Knowling who was also in the crew, lost his life in another accident whilst flying with S/L Falconer in May 1942 where S/L Falconer was the only survivor.

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W/C Falconer was killed on 30th December 1944 whilst flying with 156Sqn.

He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.

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Photographed by Dom Howard.

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Extract is from Bill Chorley's Bomber Command Losses