Mair, John Dunbar, son of George Herbert Mair CMG, asst Dir. League of Nations Secretariat, and Maire O'Neill, actress; b. 23 Dec. 1914; adm. Sept. 1928 (B); left July 1933; a literary critic New Statesman; PO RAFVR Nov. 1941, DFC; m. 12 June 1940 Joan, d. of George Frederick Greenall of Hemsby, Norfolk; killed in a flying accident on active service 4 Apr. 1942.
John Dunbar Mair was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 24th of December 1914 the son of George Herbert Mair CMG, a journalist and an Assistant Director of the League of Nations Secretariat, and Maire Agnes (nee Allgood later O’Neill) Mair, an actress, of 34, Walpole Street in London. He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea on the 16th of March 1915.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1928 to July 1933. He won the Mitchell Empire Essay Prize and placed 2nd for the Neale History Prize in 1933. On leaving school he became a literary critic for the New Statesman and later for the News Chronicle. He was the author of a biography of William Ireland entitled “The Fourth Forger”, published by Ayer & Company in 1938, and of the novel “Never Come Back” published by Victor Gollanz Ltd. in 1941. He was married in Hertfordshire on the 12th of June 1940 to Joan Marjorie (nee Greenall, later Feisenbergerand) they lived at 6, Caroline Terrace, Sloane Square in London.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where rose to the rank of Sergeant and was posted to No. 8 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Montrose for pilot training.
On the 27th of June 1940, John Mair and Sergeant G. H. Reed took off in Master Mk I N7613 for a training exercise. At the time he had accumulated 74.30 hours of total solo flying time of which 46.20 were on Master aircraft. At 3pm the aircraft crashed at Drumlithie, Kincardineshire seriously injuring both men. They were admitted to Aberdeen Infirmary where John Mair was treated for facial injuries and a broken humerus.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 21st of November 1941 and later became an Observer. He was posted to No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit where he was attached to A Flight.
At 8.30am on the morning of the 4th of April 1942, John Mair and his crew were one of two crews which were briefed by Flight Lieutenant Aubrey Richard de Lisle Inniss, the commanding officer of A Flight, for a formation training exercise which was scheduled to last for three hours. The weather was reported as 3/10ths cloud down to 2,500 feet with visibility of eight to ten miles. He and his crew took off from RAF Catfoss in Blenheim Mk I L6975 along with Blenheim Mk I L1125 for the exercise. The two aircraft were flying at 2,000 feet, just off the coast at Skipsea and to the north of the airfield, when they began the exercise. At 9.20am the rearmost of the two aircraft hit the tail plane of the leading aircraft with its port wing. The tail plane became detached and the leading aircraft crashed into the sea killing all on board. The remaining aircraft became briefly inverted before it too crashed into the sea killing all on board.
The crew was: -
Flight Sergeant William Thomas Braun RCAF (Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Duncan Mair (Observer)
Sergeant Frederick Ernest Stanley Warren RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
The crew of Blenheim L1125 was: -
Sergeant George Arthur Edmonds (Pilot)
Vernon Gregory Hanrahan Copas RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant George Edward Peart (Observer)
His wife received the following letter dated the 17th of April 1942: - “Madam, I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your husband, Pilot Officer John Dunbar Mair, Royal Air Force, lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident on 4th April, 1942. The Air Council desire me to convey to you their profound sympathy in your bereavement.”
John Mair’s body was recovered from the sea the following day but the rest of his crew were never found.
At a subsequent inquiry into the accident a number of statements were taken from witnesses to the accident and its aftermath: -
Statement of Head Observer John McKay Allman, Royal Observer Corps GI Post, Skipsea: - “On the morning of the 4th of April 1942 at 0925 hours, I noticed two Blenheims formating in Vic at 2000 feet on a southerly heading. The one on the right hit the tail plane of the other one with his port wing. The leading aircraft’s tail plane was ripped off and the machine immediately spun and crashed into the sea. The other aircraft went on to its back and flew inverted for a few seconds and then spun into the sea. The aircraft were flying straight and level when they collided.”
Statement of Flying Officer Thomas Primrose MB Ch.B: -
“I am assistant Medical Officer at Royal Air Force Station Catfoss. On the morning of the 4th April 1942 at about 0940 hours, I was informed that a crash had taken place in the sea off Skipsea. I proceeded to the scene of the crash with Squadron Leader Carpenter with three ambulances. On arriving at Skipsea I was directed one mile further up the coast, where I found the wreckage of a Blenheim aircraft lying between high and low water mark. One body, that of Sergeant Peart, was lying on the beach. He was dead. A few minutes later a life saving jacket was seen floating in towards the beach from the wrecked aircraft. This was retrieved, it was found to be attached to the dead body of Sergeant Copas. In an endeavour to discover the body of the pilot, a Corporal waded out to the wreckage and there we found the dead body of Sergeant Edmonds pinned under the wreckage. With assistance the body was got clear and retrieved. In my opinion death in these three cases was due to multiple injuries and to drowning. In the course of the afternoon of Sunday 5th April 1942, having been informed by the police that another body had been washed up on the shore, Squadron Leader Carpenter proceeded to the beach and retrieved the dead body of Pilot Officer Mair. Death in this case was also caused through multiple injuries. An open parachute was found amongst the wreckage.”
His funeral and cremation took place on the 10th of April 1942.
He is commemorated at Hull Crematorium Screen Wall, Panel 4.
