Donald Alex Neal was born in May 1919 the son of Alex C Neal and Elizabeth G Neal (known as Bessie), who lived in Amherst, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia in Canada. He had an older brother Frederick Anderson Neal and an older sister Mary Elizabeth Neal.

He attended Acadia State School (1925-1934) and Amherst Senior High (1934-1936). After leaving school he had several jobs His previous employment included an apprenticeship at Canada Electric Co; working as a miner at Noranda Gold Mines and then joining Enamel and Heating Products Ltd as a shipping clerk.

His attestation papers are dated 14 August 1940, showing that he signed up in Moncton New Brunswick. He was described on his initial interview form as “Superior type of young man. Keen, ambitious, sunny temperament. Excellent material and should respond quickly to training.” He trained in Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, Brandon and Saskatoon, and his flying training report assessed him as a good pilot of average ability. He was recommended for a fighter squadron and the report goes on to say that he should develop into a good Service pilot.

After his preliminary training, he attended No 8 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) from 16 January 1941 to 5 March 1941. This was at Sea Island, Eburne, British Columbia. It was noted by his Commanding Officer, “Conduct excellent. Above average ability on classwork, average ability as a pilot. Works hard and is conscientious”.

He completed his training on course No23 of No4 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at Dunville on 3 July 1941. His final report notes “A good pilot of average ability. Needs more paractice on instruments. Has shown himself keen and willing to learn. Should develop into a good Service pilot”. His Chief Ground Instructor noted “An above-average student, possessing a high degree of ability and industry. Aptitude and attitude towards the service excellent”. On completion of No4 SFTS he had achieved almost 170 flying hours.

He left Canada for the UK on 26 July 1941 and reported to No.3 Personnel Reception Centre on 16 August 1941 before being posted to 13 OTU at RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire on 24 August 1941.

Having initially enlisted as an Aircraftman 2nd class, he gained promotion to Leading Aircraftman in January 1941 and Sergeant in July 1941 just before departing for England.

Sergeant Neal was flying Blenheim Mk1 L6793 and he had taken off from RAF Upper Heyford, which was a satellite airfield for RAF Bicester, and was looking to practice a forced landing at RAF Bicester when his aircraft got into trouble. He stalled and crashed at about 1200 hours in the vicinity of Juniper Hill on the border between Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, a little under 3 miles south of Brackley.

A letter to his father from the Station Commander explains that in coming in to practice the forced landing his aircraft, he crashed due to what was thought to be an error of judgment.

Sergeant Neal was buried in Caversfield Churchyard, near RAF Bicester, on 17 September 1941. Additionally he is commemorated on panel 78 of the International Bomber Command Centre Memorial Walls in Lincoln.

Between June 2003 and January 2006, the BBC asked the public to contribute their memories of World War Two to a website. This resulted in “WW2 People's War” an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC.

One story records the following details of the aftermath of Sergeant Neal’s crash, from Bryan McEnroe, dated 29th April 2005:

“When I was young, there was a kind of Family Legend about how, when I was an infant, burning petrol from a crashed aircraft had splashed across my pram which was in the front garden - only moments after I had been taken out of it and laid in my bedroom cot. The tale was given some weight by the framed presence of a certificate, signed by Winston S. Churchill that commended my Mother - 'Margaret, Mrs. McEnroe, Housewife' for brave conduct. My Mother of course told me of the crash and its aftermath, of how she had rescued a small girl from the burning wreckage, and how one Owen Morgan Owen had saved another child just as the fuel tank of the aircraft exploded. It was not until the then Public Records Office at Kew released the minutes of The Interdepartmental Committee on Civil Defence, Gallantry Awards, that I learned the exact details. The aircraft was a Blenheim, No.6793, which had taken off from RAF Bicester at 11.50 hrs., 13th September 1941. It was piloted by Sergeant Pilot No. 64890 Donald Alex Neal. He did not survive. Owen Morgan Owen was awarded an MBE, my Mother a mention in dispatches. I have copies of the Committee's minutes, PRO HO 250/42-49, in which the accounts of the event are given as Cases 1817A and 1817B, and of course have the framed certificate, of which there is a copy attached.”