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741. Pensacola's November Loss 11-19-1945 WWII

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Updated: Feb 28, 2022

US Navy Flight Cadet Donald Sydney Kitson was born in Pensacola, Florida on March 14, 1926, the son of Ernest Sydney Kitson (1895-1952) and Flora Jeannie McGreechin (1898-1985). His father was born in Pennsylvania and enlisted on April 23, 1917 in the US Army during WWI. He was assigned as a wagoner to Company "C" of the 101st Machine Gun Battalion with the 26th Infantry Division. The battalion was activated August 22, 1917 at Camp Edwards, MA, and was nicknamed the "Yankee Division." They were Sent to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Forces and saw extensive combat in France. Donald's mother was from Ipswich, England and would marry Ernest in New York City in 1925.


His father first appeared in Pensacola in 1924 where he was in partnership with A. J. Phipps, a wholesale lumber company out of New York City. Ernest was boarding at the San Carlos Hotel with their office at #806 National Bank Building at Palafox and Government Street. By 1930, Ernest and Flora had moved to Pensacola where he was in real estate with an office at #16 West Gregory Street and a house at 2200 East Mallory Street. By 1940, Ernest was a contractor and the family had moved to 113 Frisco Drive in Warrington. In 1944, Ernest was working as an office engineer for the Yonge & Hart Company owned by Chancellor C. Yong and R. Daniel Hart. This was an architect and airfield design company with an office in the Thiesen Building downtown. The following year Flora was as a saleslady and Ernest was no longer able to work.


As for their son Donald, he would graduate from Pensacola High School in 1943 where he had been a member of the basketball team and on the staff of the school's newspaper. In his senior year he enlisted in the US Navy's officer pilot program and would subsequently attend one year of college at the University of Miami. He attended the Navy's pre-flight course at Chapel Hill, NC, completing it in late February 1945. He was then transferred to Bunker Hill, Indiana in March for primary flight training.


On November 19, 1945, Donald was flying a training aircraft out of Barin Field, Escambia County, Florida when he was involved in a plane crash in Baldwin County, Alabama and killed. That same day a second cadet, Frank Harvey was killed as well in an unrelated crash. Donald's parents were notified of his death followed by his burial in Barrancas Cemetery where he was eventually joined by his parents.


















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