J.C. MacGown, Pathfinder Group Medical Officer

[Harry Jamieson]

Hi David,
re the above it seems that it is probably the case that not a few qualified physicians served as aircrew during WW2 and indeed subsequently. 'Without trying' I know that P/O C. Ludwig, pilot, 455 sq was one such and lost his life captaining a Hampden on 2/ 1/42, and, likewise F/O G B Will, Wop/AG, 48 sq, killed 11/ 4/42 in a Hudson.
Then, about 20 years ago while browsing in the then current Air Force List, I spotted, in the General Duties section, 2 MBChB and/or MBBS's among the hosts of BA, BSc's etc. One was called, I seem to remember, Brown and the other Jones (I'm not making this up!) When I checked back a year or two later one was a S/L and the other had disappeared.
Could be an interesting project to identify those who were so qualified and employed. Perhaps the BMA could help.

Harry

[Resmoroh]

I suspect there were an awful lot of these guys (Medics, Met-Men, Armourers, Engines, Film Unit, etc, etc, etc) who were non-aircrew and, basically, in ‘office jobs’ back at the ranch but who volunteered to go on some Ops to see how their specialisation affected the effective prosecution of the air war. I suspect, also, that many may have lied about their age, or specialisation, on the Crew Manifest – and that the Authorising Officer ‘turned a blind eye’! One of ‘our’ own Met Men (Sqn Ldr C Crichton-Miller) went on such trips to get real-time information on Night Illumination (same sort of thing that MacGowan was about). Crichton-Miller was shot down over Distre (nr Saumur, France) and killed in action. He was recorded as being “a Flight Engineer” - presumably as a means of proving (Geneva Convention, etc) he was ‘pukka’ aircrew – and not an “Agent”.
Some bright spark could write a Degree Dissertation on this sort of thing! I’ll bet there are a number of “untold stories” to be told!!
Rgds
Peter Davies

[Greg Bloomfield]

I'm currently reading Iredale's 'The Pathfinders' and Mcgown features quite a bit in it. Although he was a full time medic, it is stated at least twice that he flew 45 operation 'as both a pilot and navigator'. Now, he might have been a WW1 pilot but surely he would not have been given the job of piloting a Lancaster. The length of time it would take to convert him to the intricacies of flying a four engined aircraft after years of non-flying duties would be make this unpractical. It is a strange thing to put into a book though if it isn't true. Can anyone shed any light on this claim?

[bvs]

Hi Greg
Air Gunner was the 'easiest'/quickest crew position for non aircrew to qualify for
This does appear to be the case with Doc MacGown...

John Cecil MACGOWN (72766).

Clifford Alabaster: “The Group MO was MacGown who gave up his Harley Street practice as an eye specialist to serve in the RAF and came to PFF, where he distinguished himself by flying as a rear gunner on a number of raids, for which he was awarded the DFC. Unique! Doc’ MacGown’s feats were fairly common knowledge.”

[bvs]

Just looking again at the pic I posted above - I think the a/c is probably a Miles M7 Nighthawk,I guess there was no reason to prevent Doc MacGown from flying light comms a/c as long as he was medically fit,especially if he had 'kept his hand in' flying between the wars (I have not managed to confirm).

[Greg Bloomfield]

I am personally very sceptical that he was allowed to fly as either a pilot or navigator, especially with PFF as their standards were of the highest and it wouldn't be appropriate for a 'part timer' to fly an experienced crew on important tasks. Being an MO would surely take up a huge chunk of his time and even if he had kept up his flying hours between the wars, it wouldn't have been on RAF heavy aircraft but light planes only.

I know many people managed to get themselves on ops as 'observers', even padres used excuses to fly. But I can't see how any of them would have been trusted enough to take over from any specialised role in the crew. An extra lookout in the astrodome or a 'windower' or general gopher is understandable though.

Just my thoughts.

Greg

[bvs]

Hi Greg
Quite a few older guys qualified as Air Gunners - Lionel 'Sos' Cohen was a WW1 Observer - he flew many sorties as an Air Gunner during WW2 - awarded DFC at age 69.
AFAIK - anybody flying regularly as a gunner would have had to take a proper Air Gunners course and be qualified as an Air Gunner.
Doc MacGown I also doubt would have been qualified as 1st Pilot or Nav for a 'Heavy'- but could have been a qualified Air Gunner and as such would be able to fly as official Aircrew.

regards baz

[David Duxbury]

I would generally agree with most of the statements aired above (from No. 11 onwards), about the likelihood of the good Doc flying heavy operational aircraft on ops in WW2; probably not. Also, my guess for "his" light aircraft as shown in the photo? Miles Whitney Straight or Monarch, which were VERY similar. Incidentally one of the "Straight" brothers (but not Whitney, after whom the MWS was named; it was Michael!) was very mixed up with the Cambridge spies prior to and during WW2, but did not betray his Country (well, actually he was an American, but he choose a British university). John Costello's "Mask of Treachery" has told that particular story in some detail.

[bvs]

Hi David
I would still go for the Miles M7 Nighthawk - just from the canopy/windscreen details - ie rear window + apparently deeper side windows (looking at stbd side) + DV panel on windscreen - not that it is important but interesting detail differences between similar Miles Types.

[Marks]

'The Pathfinders' Will Iredale

A letter from MacGown to his wife June, 1943 -

Darling, I got my Pathfinder Wings today. I passed the exam in navigation, flying a Lancaster, use of sextant for finding your position from the stars, use of some secret radio-devices for target location, meteorology and beam-approach blind flying. You have to do ten trips with the Pathfinders. I've done 12.

Also he received the Air Efficiency Award in 1950 as he was a pre-war RAFVR !

Mark