Mac and Prang

After graduating from Aylmer, ‘Mac’ McNicholas was posted overseas. The resident of Mannington, West Virginia was selected for night fighter duty with the RAF. In October 1942 he transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces and was selected by ‘Winky’ Kraatz for night fighter training in Orlando, Florida. Roland Fisher was an RAF American volunteer who served with McNicholas and recalls their pet dog “Prang’. “ ‘Mac’ had a falling out with ‘Winky’ in mid ‘43 in Orlando. Kratz kicked him out of the night fighters. ‘Mac’ went into a F-5 photo reconnaissance outfit, and I kept in close touch with him. He was based in China and flew photo recco before the landing at Leyte. ‘Mac’ took Prang with him to China. He even flew home, on leave, and back to China for more ops – Prang with him all the way. At wars end, Mac flew Prang home to his folk's home in West Virginia. For your info, Prang was a Skye terrier that we night fighters bought in a pet shop in London as a puppy. We took him to Orlando. The RAF allowed us to assign him an official rank and serial number. Photo: ‘Mac’ McNicholas with Prang in his F-5 in Kunming, China where he was based in '44/45 after flying the Hump to get there. McNicholas did aerial photo work before his return to the Phillippines at Leyte, in October 1944.