South African War Graves Project -

Son of George and Margaret Eleanor Rennie, of Parktown Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. After leaving Aberdeen Grammar School he was for some time on the London Stock Exchange and later he worked in his father's office in Johannesburg, before enlisting in the R.A.F. A few months before his death, the Halifax bomber of which he was pilot was shot down when returning from an attack on Bremen. Rennie was the last to bail out and fell on to telegraph wires in a small village a few miles north of Hasselt in Belgium. After a series of exciting adventures, described in a chapter of Escape and Liberation, 1940-1945: The Classic Escapes from Nazi German, by A. J. Evans, he eventually made his way to Paris. From there he went to Tours, across the line of demarcation between Occupied and Unoccupied France, over the Pyrenees to Spain, and thence back to Britain. He was awarded the M.C.

Age:	26
Date of Birth:	-0001-11-30
Service No:	87414
Rank:	Flight Lieutenant
Unit:	14 Operational Training Unit
Regiment:	Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Date of Death:	1942-10-19
Cause of Death:	Died in Aircraft Accident, Avro Anson I R3310, night navigation exercise on 3 October 1942. Severe weather forced abandonment of aircraft at 2230 Hrs and aircraft crashed 1 mile west of Sutton St James. It is possible that Rennie was injured and died on 19 Oct 1942, some 16 days after the accident, although no injuries were recorded at the time of the crash

Grave Reference:	Compt. 16. Grave 16.
Cemetery:	COTTESMORE (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION

Localitly:	Rutland
Country:	United Kingdom

Decorations:	M C
Citations:	LG Sup 13 March 1942 pg. 1165 - "This officer was shot down by night fighters and, escaping by parachute, landed on some telephone wires in Belgium. After overcoming almost unsurmountable difficulties, during the course of which he severely handled a disloyal Belgian, who tried to hand him over to the enemy, and killed a sentry who was about to arrest him, he reached this country and reported for full flying duties. Flying Officer Rennie brought back a considerable amount of valuable information. Throughout his experience he showed the greatest skill, courage and daring."
Son of George and Margaret Eleanor Rennie, of Parktown Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. After leaving Aberdeen Grammar School he was for some time on the London Stock Exchange and later he worked in his father's office in Johannesburg, before enlisting in the R.A.F. A few months before his death, the Halifax bomber of which he was pilot was shot down when returning from an attack on Bremen. Rennie was the last to bail out and fell on to telegraph wires in a small village a few miles north of Hasselt in Belgium. After a series of exciting adventures, described in a chapter of Escape and Liberation, 1940-1945: The Classic Escapes from Nazi German, by A. J. Evans, he eventually made his way to Paris. From there he went to Tours, across the line of demarcation between Occupied and Unoccupied France, over the Pyrenees to Spain, and thence back to Britain. He was awarded the M.C.