Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 69 George was born in 1922 in New Glasgow, N.S. to Jeorge and Jessie MacDougall. He enlisted in the Air Force, receiving his wings in 1941, and at 19 years of age, was one of the youngest New Glasgow boys in the air service. George was posted to Bomber Command and achieved the rank of Flight Sergeant. On the night of 4 February 1943, while on his 22nd bombing mission in a Lancaster Bomber, George was shot down over Montfoort, Holland and was killed in action. The following is a snippet of a letter home from George to his parents in December 1942. George Douglas MacDougall WWII To: Mom and Dad, I have been promoted to Flight Sergeant. I am quite happy tonight because I am going on a few days leave tomorrow. I may take a run to Bournmouth and a run up to see Doane. He is not far from here. No doubt you read of the 1000 bombers at Cologne and Essen. I was in all of those trips and they were pretty good ones too. Cologne was my first Opp and quite a start, eh! I hope the censor doesn’t mind what I’m writing. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. I have never in my life seen a fire so huge as the one at Cologne. There couldn’t have been much left of the place. Seems like an uncivilized way of fighting but I am convinced it is the only way of shortening the war. I think that ‘Jerry’ is pretty sad about the whole thing. It looks as if everyone had gone to the shelters and I can’t say I blamed them. I didn’t have to go that night but it was such a big show I didn’t want to miss it. I have been doing quite a bit of flying this past week and have about XXX (censored) hours now. That’s XXX (censored) more than when I left Canada. I was talking with the King yesterday. He inspected us and talked to some of the chaps. He stopped in front of me and asked me what crew I was in and how many in the crew and things like that. Then the Queen came along and I tried to entice her over by smiling but she just smiled back at me. The King looked better than the last time I saw him but still looked a bit tired as if he had been worrying. He was very tanned and looked very well in his uniform. The visit was a good surprise for us. Your Loving son, George. Flight Sergeant George Douglas MacDougall
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