John Robert Macneil
Flight Lieutenant John Robert Macneil (service no. O35104), RAAF navigator, arrived in England in December 1958 to commence an exchange posting with 50 Squadron at RAF Upwood. Prior to that his postings had included: ADC to Field Marshal Slim (Governor General of Australia); 6 Squadron RAAF on Canberra bombers; 11 Sqn RAAF on P2V5 Neptunes; and 30 Transport Unit (later 36 Sqn) on the Dakota C-47 at Iwakuni, Japan during the Korean War. In the RAF he was part of a three man Canberra B.2 bomber crew comprising FLTLT Brian McCabe (pilot) and FLGOFF (later FLTLT) Bob Black (observer). On 21 September 1959 the three RAAF officers were posted to 35 Squadron (also a Canberra unit at Upwood) due to the disbanding of 50 Squadron. John continued to serve as a navigator with 35 Sqn until July 1960, when he was posted to RAF Manby to undergo the Specialist Navigation Course. John completed his posting with the RAF and returned to Australia with his family in September 1961. John went on to many other postings, including Chief Navigation Instructor at the RAAF School of Air Navigation; Flight Commander on exchange with the USAF 3536th Navigator Training Squadron in Sacramento; CO of the RAAF Officer Training School; Defence Attache in Malaysia; and OC of RAAF Base Laverton. John retired with the rank of Air Commodore in 1982. He passed away on 19 March 2020 aged 92. [photo shows, left to right: FLTLT Brian McCabe, Mrs Joan Macneil, Mrs Judy McCabe, FLTLT John Macneil, on SS Orion at Naples, December 1958.]
