MacCallum, John Evelyn Matier (Lyn)
Group Captain
Royal Air Force
Died as the result of an accident on Saturday 16 October 1943 (aged 37)
Buried:
Bangor Cemetery, Co. Down (Section 2.G Grave 76)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Family grave headstone in Bangor Cemetery
Lisburn War Memorial
Portadown College
BIOGRAPHY
John Evelyn Matier (Lyn) MacCallum was born on 3 October 1906 in Longstone Street, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, and he was a son of William Henry and Charlotte Mary Christina (Lottie) MacCallum (nee Williams). Henry MacCallum was a schoolteacher and in 1901 he was teaching in First Bangor Presbyterian Church School. Henry and Lottie were married on 5 August 1903 in Bangor Parish Church of Ireland Church (St. Comgall’s). William Henry MacCallum from Belfast was a son of James MacCallum, a farmer. Charlotte Mary Christina Williams from Bangor was a daughter of John Williams, a coastguard pensioner.
William Henry and Charlotte Mary Christina (Lottie) MacCallum (nee Williams) had at least four children:
James Wallace (Wallace, born 22 August 1904 in Longstone Street, Lisburn)
Margaret Helena (Madge, born 7 October 1905 in Flowerfield, Lisburn)
John Evelyn Matier (born 3 October 1906 in Longstone Street, Lisburn)
Henry Cecil Warwick (Cecil, born 8 May 1908 in Longstone Street, Lisburn)
The MacCallum family lived at 152 Longstone Street, Lisburn and later in Portadown. Lyn MacCallum was educated at Banbridge Academy and Portadown College and in 1922/23 he was Captain of the Portadown College 1st XV rugby team.
Lyn MacCallum joined the Royal Air Force in 1923 and in 1931 he and Mollie Patricia Bishop were married in Ismailia, Egypt. Lyn was promoted from Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant with effect from 1 December 1932 (London Gazette 6 December 1932); from Flight Lieutenant to Squadron Leader with effect from 1 August 1937 (London Gazette 3 August 1937) and from Squadron Leader to Wing Commander (temporary) with effect from 1 June 1940 (London Gazette 7 June 1940). His wife Mollie was serving with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), and they had two children.
Group Captain John Evelyn Matier MacCallum was 37 when he died on 16 October 1943 as the result of a road accident in England.
Group Captain John Evelyn Matier MacCallum is commemorated on the family grave headstone in Bangor Cemetery; on Lisburn War Memorial and in Portadown College. In Portadown College there are three Houses – MacCallum, Seale and Shillington. MacCallum House is named in honour of Group Captain Lyn MacCallum. Seale House is named in honour of brothers Squadron Leader W. Terry Seale who was killed on 30 June 1941 and Lieutenant Theo. J. Seale who was killed on 1 June 1944. Shillington House is named in honour of David Graham Shillington who served in the First World War. Two members of the Shillington family died in the First World War – Thomas Graham Shillington and Geoffrey St. George Shillington Cather VC.