Date of birth:

September 25th, 1921

Date of death:

March 14th, 2007

Service number:

210895

Nationality:

British

Keith Mackay was born on 25 September 1921. He was educated at Exeter School, and gained a place at Cambridge University. Called up, he did a short engineering course there, then joined the Royal Engineers, training in England.
He landed in Normandy on D-day+6 as part of the 11th Armoured Division, and took part in the slow gains made around Caen over the next two months. He was present at the liberation of the town of Flers on 17 August 1944, and then joined the breakthrough.
After crossing the Seine on 30 August, the Division was ordered to advance rapidly northwards. The next day, on reaching the Canal du Somme, Lt Mackay cut the wires of explosive charges laid by the enemy on a bridge over it, to the west of the city of Amiens, and for this act he was awarded the MC.
The advance continued to Antwerp and beyond. Lt Mackay received a head wound near the Dutch town of Deurne on 24 September 1944, and was evacuated to hospital in England. After the war, he returned to St John''s College, Cambridge, and gained a degree in Economics.
He married Jean Mackay in 1947, and they had three children, James, Hugh and Alison. He worked as a manager, later Managing Director, for the Exeter printing firm of James Townsend & Sons Ltd from 1948 until 1999. He died on 14 March 2007.

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28 June 1944 WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron
Lt. Mackay & 3 Tp. left harbour for work on […] site.

7 July 1944 WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron
O.C., Lt. Mackay & Lt. Casswell with 5 OR's attended a demonstration of earth-road building organised by C.E. 30 Corps. 2 I.C. agains visited Adv. RA's. Sec. at Army H.Q. and 105 Corps Reinforcement Camp, but no rfts. are yet available for collection although the unit has received posting orders for 11.

24 September 1944 WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron
During day 3 Tp. lifted a dozen T-Mi 35 on rd. ASTEN - DEURNE 6520. No other R.E. work. Rest of 3 Tp. crossed canal to ASTEN; O.C. & Lt.Sec. 3 Tp. reached VLIERDEN 6318. Lt Mackay wounded in head by air-burst shell.

28 November 1944 WO 171/1658 - 612 Field Squadron
Sqn. less echelons. moved to METERIK E 8118. 3 Tp. employed on lifting A-Per. mies previously laid by them. News received of award of M.C. to Lt. D.K. Mackay R.E. formerly of this Sqn. & now in convalescent hospital in England.

• - Recommendation for Award for Mackay, Douglas Keith Rank: Lieutenant Service... | The National Archives
  

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