RCAF Aviation History: Group Captain Robert Wendell "Buck" McNair, DSO, DFC and two Bars

Group Captain Robert Wendell "Buck" McNair, DSO, DFC and two Bars

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4982734)

S/L R.W. McNair, 24 Sep 1943.

Group Captain Robert Wendell "Buck" McNair, DSO, DFC &Two Bars (15 May 1919 – 15 January 1971) was an RCAF flying ace of the SecondWorld War, with 16 or 16.5 victories and five probables. McNair was born on 15May 1919 in Springfield, Nova Scotia, the son of railroad engineer KennethFrank McNair (1891–1973) and Hilda May (née Grimm; 1898–1983). The family movedto North Battleford, Saskatchewan, during the Great Depression. McNairgraduated from high school in North Battleford in 1937 and went to work as aground wireless (radio) operator for the Saskatchewan Ministry of NaturalResources.

Followingthe outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, McNair enlisted in the RCAF inJune 1940 and attended training schools No. 1 ITS in Toronto, No. 7 EFTS inWindsor and No. 31 SFTS in Kingston.  Hegraduated as a pilot on 24 March 1941 and was posted to No. 411 Squadron RCAFat RAF Digby in Lincolnshire, England, in June 1941.

McNair's first encounter with the enemy came on 27 Sep 1941, while escorting BristolBlenheim bombers in a Supermarine Spitfire on a raid against the railroad yardsin Amiens, France, and a power plant near Mazingarble. He managed to get behindand damage a Messerschmitt Bf 109, but was attacked by another 109 before hecould finish the job and had to break off.  His first victory came on 13 Oct 1941 overBoulogne; he downed one Bf 109 and damaged another, though he himself was shotdown and had to parachute into the English Channel.

WithMalta undergoing heavy Axis aerial attacks and in danger of invasion, theAllies sent reinforcements numerous times between 1940 and 1942. On 2 Mar 1942,McNair piloted one of 17 Spitfires launched from the British aircraft carrierHMS Eagle to the beleaguered island. As a member of No. 249 SquadronRAF, he was frequently engaged in combat in the skies above Malta. He shot downa Bf 109 on 19 March, a Junkers Ju 88 on 26 March, a 109 on 20 April and a Ju88 on 22 April, making him an ace. He increased his tally by three 109s, on 22May, 25 May, and 10 June, before being recalled to England for a leave. He waspromoted first to flying officer, then to flight lieutenant sometime duringthis period.

RejoiningNo. 411 Squadron, McNair participated in the disastrous Dieppe Raid. On 19 Aug1942, he was credited with a probable kill of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and withdamaging another. He was then sent home to Canada for six months rest and warbond drives.

Decliningcommand of a training school, McNair was assigned briefly to lead No. 416Squadron RCAF, before being given command of No. 421 Squadron RCAF. On 28 Jul1943, his Spitfire had engine trouble off Knocke and burst into flames on theway home from a mission. He managed to parachute into the water and was savedby the rescue crew of a Supermarine Walrus. He had been burned about his face and was admitted into hospital fortreatment. His eyesight was permanently damaged, so he had to get closer to theenemy than before to compensate. He kept his handicap to himself, leadingothers to believe that he was being excessively reckless. Nonetheless, thatyear he brought down four Fw 190s (20 Jun, 24 Jun, 6 Sep and 3 Oct) and anequal number of Bf 109s (6 Jul, 10 Jul, 31 Aug, and 3 Sep), bringing his finaltally to 16 or 16.5 confirmed kills.

In1944, McNair was promoted to wing commander of 126 Wing, RAF Second TacticalAir Force at RAF Biggin Hill, which meant he no longer flew combat missions.After six months, he was reassigned from operational to administrative duties.

McNairremained in the RCAF after the war. Upon graduating from the Empire FlyingTraining School, he was posted to RAF Fakenham, Norfolk, to fly Gloster Meteorand de Havilland Vampire jet fighters. He later served as Air Advisor andAttaché of the Military Mission at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Forhis contributions in the Korean War "as RCAF Liaison Officer to the FarEast Air Forces from 27 Jun 1951 to 27 Jul 1953," the United Statesgovernment offered to award McNair a Bronze Star Medal, but it was against RCAFpolicy.

McNairwas aboard a Canadair North Star which crashed at Vancouver, British Columbia,on 30 Dec 1953. He made sure that all passengers and crew were safely evacuatedbefore leaving himself, despite being soaked in gasoline. For this, he wasawarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct. He suffered spinal injuriesand was treated for a year.

McNair was promoted to group captain in 1956 and posted to No. 4 Fighter Wing, CFB Baden-Soellingen. In 1964, he was made Deputy-Commander of NORAD's Duluth sector. He later joined the Canadian Joint Staff office at the High Commission in London. McNair died of leukemia and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, England.

McNair met Watford-born stenographer Barbara Gwendoline Still (1925–2006) on a blind date in London in 1942; they married in 1944, and had two sons: Bruce and Lawrence Keith McNair (1949–1998). On her death, she was buried beside her husband in Brookwood Cemetery.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4975873)

R.W. McNair, R.A. Buckham and H.C. Godefroy, during investiture, 11 Nov 1943.

McNair was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 22 May 1942, 27 Jul 1943 and 22 Oct 1943. In Apr 1944, Acting Wing Commander McNair was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.  The French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm and made him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, both in Sep 1947. He received the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct in August 1954. In 1990, he was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.‍

(DND Photo)

Wing Commander R.W. McNair, DSO, DFC and 2 Bars, Legion of Honour, French War Cross, of Springfield, Nova Scotia, Sector Commander No. 1 Air Defence Control Centre, RCAF Station Lac St. Denis, Quebec.

AWARDED QUEEN'S COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT - Announcement has been made by Air Force Headquarters of the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct to Wing Commander R.W. McNair, DSO, DFC, 35, of Springfield, Nova Scotia and Edmonton.  W/C McNair was awarded the commendation for his action during the crash landing of an RCAF North Star transport in Vancouver last December.  Although soaked in gasoline, W/C McNair refused to leave the aircraft which had landed upside down.  Knowing that a large number of passengers were aboard he worked to restore order and assisted all passengers in getting out of the plane.  At the time an explosion and fire appeared imminent, and did not occur "only through an act of God" according to the citation covering the award. (RCAF Photo)

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