St. Charles WWII fighter pilot will be honored by MN Military Museum

(KWNO)-The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum will honor World War II fighter pilot Art Donahue at a ceremony on Tuesday December 9. Donahue grew up on a farm in St. Charles and learned aviation from Max Conrad; he became Minnesota’s youngest commercial pilot at the age of 19.

In 1940 Donahue traveled to Canada, claimed to be Canadian, and enlisted in the British Royal Air Force. He flew several missions during the Battle of Britain and is believed to be one of only 11 Americans who flew for the RAF. Donahue returned briefly to Minnesota but by October of 1941 he was flying combat missions in the Far East. Donahue was killed in action on September 11, 1942, over the English Channel. His body and plane were never found.

Donahue was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and his name is on the Battle of Britain Monument in London. He also wrote two books about his time with the RAF.