Two former members of the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron who distinguished themselves in the Mediterranean were Squadron-Leader E.D. Mackie of Waihi, and Flying Officer S.F. Browne, of Wellington.

They won three decorations between them and shot down a total of 10 enemy planes.

Squadron-Leader Mackie, who holds the D.F.C. and Bar, commands one of the highest scoring squadrons of the Royal Air Force, it has shot down 292 enemy aircraft. had shot down his fourteenth aircraft over the Sangro Valley the day before I saw him near Termoli. Squadron-Leader Mackie was leading a flight of four Spitfires when he sighted 12 Messerschmitt 109s. He immediately led the attack, fired at two, and then chased three more down. Squadron-Leader Mackie got on the tail of one, fired two bursts and then saw it crash.

Squadron-Leader Mackie had been away on many sweeps with the New Zealand Squadron over France before leaving England, and was regarded as one of the Squadron's best pilots. By the time he left England he had shared in the destruction of one enemy plane. It was not long before arriving at Tunis that he distinguished himself rapidly.

He shot down seven enemy planes during the Tunisian campaign and followed that up by getting five more while operating from Malta. One day while at Malta he shot down two Junkers S7s, one Macchi 200. He got two Junkers in a morning while patrolling over Augusta, in Sicily.

There were 12 unescorted Junkers. The Spitfires soon made short work of them.

That afternoon Mackie collected an Italian aircraft. During the Salerno Battle Mackie led his squadron from Sicily on long range patrols over Salerno. They did two patrols over Salerno daily for five days and during that period the New Zealander shot down his thirteenth enemy - a Dornier.

(microfilm records, Waihi Arts Centre and Museum)

above right: Electrical Fitters Norm Wynn and Evan Mackie and Driver Colin Ritchie at the No. 12 Pump Level. 1938

Evan Dail Mackie was born October 31, 1917 in Waihi. He was educated at Waihi East Primary School and Waihi District High School, later attending the Waihi School of Mines. He obtained an electrical apprenticeship with the Martha Gold Mining Coy (Waihi) Ltd., and went to work at the largest gold mine in New Zealand.

On January 19 1941 Evan Mackie entered the Royal New Zealand Air Force as 'aircrew under training'. After learning to fly in de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes in New Zealand and Harvards in Canada Mackie topped his course of 68 trainees with an average mark of 91% to gain his 'wings'.

In England Mackie joined 485, the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron as a pilot officer in December 1941. On 26 March 1942 he shared in destroying a Bf109. A month later, when the Squadron escorted Hurribombers to Calais, Mackie probably destroyed a FW 190. Heading for home at low level his Spitfire was hit by flak in the leading edge of the port wing as he approached the French coast but he returned to base safely.

In March 1943 he joined 243 Squadron in Algeria as a flying officer flying Spitfire VCs. On 7 April the squadron was on patrol over the First Army front when it intercepted fifteen Ju 87's with a Bf 109 escort. The dive-bombers jettisoned their bombs but the Spitfires closed in and shot down five, Mackie claiming two. Three days later he destroyed a Bf 109 which exploded in mid-air, and, in the next four weeks, destroyed another two and shared a third. He was subsequently awarded the DFC.

In June 1943 the squadron moved to Malta to take part in the imminent invasion of Sicily. Mackie was promoted to Acting Squadron Leader and given command of the unit. On 4 July the unit covered Fortresses attacking Catania and as the bombers left the target six Bf 109's appeared. Although his cannons were not working properly Mackie set one on fire and, chased by other 109's, dived down to sea level and escaped. On the way back to Malta, with cannons now functioning correctly, he attacked a two-masted schooner south-east of Augusta. In spite of being fired at by shore batteries he again returned safely to base.

Evan Mackie was a senior staff officer (training) with Air Defence (Great Britain) for six months before being appointed a supernumerary squadron leader in December 1944 with 274 Squadron on the Continent. Flying a Hawker Tempest he increased his score by one before being appointed to command 80 (Tempest) Squadron where he added four and one shared enemy aircraft destroyed to his tally. This brought his confirmed score to 21 and a half enemy aircraft.

Promoted Wing Commander (Flying) in 122 Wing Evan Mackie continued to fly Hawker Tempests and destroyed a further three aircraft and one shared on the ground before the war ended.

After a rest period Mackie converted to Tempests and, in mid-December 1944, was attached to 274 Squadron at Volkel in Holland. On the 24th he shot down an FW 190 which had just downed two Canadian Typhoons over the Malmedy area. In early January 1945 Mackie was given command of 80 Squadron at Volkel.

He destroyed a Bf 109 on 23 January 1945, shot down a FW 190 near Hanover on 7 March, destroyed two Arado AR 96 trainers on 9 April and shared in the destruction of a FW 190 six days later. Mackie, who had been awarded the DSO in January 1945, was promoted to Wing Commander in mid-April and on the 19th he became Wing Leader 122 Wing. He held this appointment until September 1945.

On 4 May 1945 Mackie led eight Tempests of 486 Squadron in the Kiel-Haderslev area. They claimed three Fiesler Storchs destroyed on the ground. Mackie finished the war with twenty-one victories, all but five of them in Spitfires. In addition to his British awards he also held the DFC (US).

Mackie successfully completed a staff course at the Royal Air Force Staff College in England and after marrying English WAAF Sergeant Marjorie Dear returned to New Zealand in 1946. Invitations to stay in the RAF and the RNZAF were refused. 'The idea of playing war games, which is what we mostly did at staff college, didn't appeal to me at all. The purpose of it had gone. I just wanted to show what an electrical apprentice could do if he set his mind to it'.

After his final stint as pilot-in-command of a Percival Proctor flying from Buckenburg to Schleswig on November 10 1945 Evan Mackie never flew an aircraft again. He returned to his trade in New Zealand and retired as chief inspector with the Tauranga Electric Power Board in 1978.

Evan Mackie died on April 28 1986 at Tauranga Hospital aged 68. As his coffin was being carried from the funeral chapel an RNZAF Douglas Skyhawk of 75 Squadron thundered low overhead in final salute.

Evan Mackie is the subject of a biography Spitfire Leader by Max Avery and Christopher Shores and also features in Aces High by Shores and Williams and An Illustrated History of the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron by Kevin Wells.

The museum features an informative display and Evan Mackie's uniform jacket.

This material has been adapated from information supplied by Max Avery and Warbirds Down Under www.warbirds.co.nz