Donald Frederick William Darling

Donald Frederick William Darling was a Squadron Leader, service number 40368. CWGC records his death on 30 January 1943, aged 24, and his burial at Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. The London Gazette records his Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Gazette citation connects the award to his night-fighter service with No. 151 Squadron.

Aircrew Remembered gives the final-operation account. It records Darling as pilot of Mosquito IV DZ367, code GB-J, of No. 105 Squadron, operating from RAF Marham on the 30 January 1943 Berlin raid timed against Nazi rallies. Aviation Safety Network matches the aircraft, date, service number, crew and loss, stating that DZ367 was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Altengrabow. Chorley’s auction catalogue, used here only as a supporting source, repeats the same service number and notes his parents as Frederick William and Winifred May Darling of Balham, London. The navigator, Flying Officer William Wright, was also killed.