102 Facts About James MacLachlan

James MacLachlan progressed quickly through flight training and was granted a commission as acting pilot officer on 3 May 1937.

James MacLachlan completed his flight training in early 1939 and had considerable time to gain experience in operational types upon the outbreak of the Second World War.

James MacLachlan's arm was so severely damaged it was amputated, but he returned to operations in November 1941 with an artificial limb.

James MacLachlan joined No 1 Squadron RAF as squadron leader and led night fighter operations in defence of Britain.

James MacLachlan left the squadron for a position at the Air Fighting Development Unit.

In October 1942 James MacLachlan departed to conduct lecturing tours to the United States.

James MacLachlan returned to Britain with the ADFU in mid-1943.

James MacLachlan was awarded a second Bar to his DFC on 30 July 1943 in absentia.

James MacLachlan was born on 1 April 1919 at Styal in Cheshire, the second of six children of Hugh MacLachlan and his wife Helen.

James MacLachlan's influence resulted in James being enrolled at King Edward's evangelical school for two years.

James MacLachlan was not academic although he did excel at poetry.

James MacLachlan attracted trouble at school by writing scurrilous rhymes about his contemporaries and members of staff.

James MacLachlan played rugby and enjoyed rowing but was not generally a sporting child.

James MacLachlan was not appointed a prefect and did not rise to a notable rank in the School Officer Training Corps.

James MacLachlan gained his School Leaving Certificate and entered the Royal Air Force on a short service commission one month short of his 18th birthday in March 1937.

James MacLachlan was uncomfortable with the military banter and the use of religious profanities.

James MacLachlan complained about the bills applicants were forced to pay.

James MacLachlan was posted to No 3 Flying Training School at Grantham in Lincolnshire.

James MacLachlan flew the Hawker Hart and the Hawker Audax for the first time on 20 May 1938.

James MacLachlan made his choice as to the type of squadron he wanted to fly with.

James MacLachlan chose from a list of medium bomber or light bomber squadrons and proceeded to the No 3 Advanced Flying Training School in Gloucestershire.

On 26 November 1937 James MacLachlan passed as an "above average" pilot.

James MacLachlan was promptly posted to No 88 Squadron RAF at RAF Boscombe Down.

James MacLachlan was enthusiastic about describing the mathematical problems associated with aerial bombing and the use of cameras to judge accuracy rather than using live-munitions, but MacLachlan was more enamored with air-to-air gunnery.

James MacLachlan joined the squadron on 6 December 1937 and it was re-equipped with the Fairey Battle.

James MacLachlan flew a raid against Givet, on the French-Belgian border; his only action in support of Allied forces in the Battle of Belgium.

James MacLachlan did not take to his new posting and was eager to get back to the action.

James MacLachlan volunteered for service with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain which had begun in July 1940.

James MacLachlan was posted to RAF Drem for training with No 145 Squadron.

James MacLachlan returned to No 145 shortly afterwards and was based at RAF Tangmere, Croydon and Westhampnett.

On 27 September 1940 James MacLachlan was posted to the south at Debden, arriving two days later.

James MacLachlan was then assigned to No 73 Squadron RAF at RAF Castle Camps.

Six more attacked the squadron and James MacLachlan managed to fire a burst which hit one and it dove away emitting smoke and gained a probable victory.

On 12 October 1940 James MacLachlan pursued a Heinkel He 111 over Castle Camps but could not catch the enemy machine which was too far away at high altitude.

Two weeks later James MacLachlan learned he was to be relocated to Malta.

James MacLachlan found himself at the heart of the battle for the island before the squadron arrived.

James MacLachlan saw the Italian fleet at a distance and witnessed enemy shells splashing around the ship.

James MacLachlan was granted a trip to Tangiers in Spanish Morocco for Christmas and New Year's leave.

James MacLachlan travelled to Gibraltar where he wangled trips on flying boats from No 202 Squadron RAF which was monitoring German and Vichy French shipping sailing between eastern Spanish ports and Italy.

James MacLachlan returned to Malta on a Short Sunderland on 5 January 1941.

James MacLachlan climbed to 22,000 feet and spotted the enemy fighters 10,000 below.

James MacLachlan attacked a group of six and shot one down into the sea where it left a large plume of water.

James MacLachlan circled the sea and noticed the Italian pilot had escaped his aircraft and survived.

Not risking a five to one encounter, James MacLachlan flew over the Excess convoy hoping the ship's fire would protect him The British vessels fired at him in error but his aircraft was not hit.

Three days later, James MacLachlan was in action against two German units: Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 and Sturzkampfgeschwader 1.

James MacLachlan destroyed the aircraft and then had to take evasive action when attacked by an Italian CR.

James MacLachlan shot the Italian fighter down: Sergente Maggiore Iacone from 70a Squadriglia bailed out was taken prisoner.

James MacLachlan climbed and singled out a Junkers Ju 88 of 8.

James MacLachlan was hit by cannon fire which shattered his engine and cockpit.

James MacLachlan's left arm began bleeding profusely and ceased to function.

James MacLachlan managed to remove his helmet and radio equipment and slide back the canopy and jump out.

James MacLachlan gave up trying to reach for his ripcord, assuming it must have been shot off.

Later, James MacLachlan said he had almost given up altogether when the thought of his mother reading the telegram informing her he had been killed in action spurred him on to try .

James MacLachlan struggled and found the ripcord and deployed his parachute.

James MacLachlan was the only British pilot to bail out in the battle.

James MacLachlan remained in hospital with a severely wounded left arm.

James MacLachlan was pumped with saline solution to prevent blood clotting but his arm was too badly damaged and it was amputated below the elbow.

James MacLachlan toured Egypt and then took a detour to Athens, Greece.

James MacLachlan moved to Bournemouth to see his brother Gordon who was now a pilot officer in No 501 Squadron RAF.

James MacLachlan explained to the doctors that he required an arm that would allow him to fly a Hurricane.

On 3 November 1941 James MacLachlan was promoted to squadron leader, and was given command of No 1 Squadron at Redhill Aerodrome, equipped with the Hawker Hurricane Mk.

James MacLachlan painted an emblem showing a left arm with a cannon shell passing through it and the fingers giving the V sign.

James MacLachlan found locating German aircraft in the dark difficult, though he himself claimed a locomotive damaged on the night and left two of its wagons destroyed.

Kuttelwascher claimed a Do 217 and He 111, but James MacLachlan settled for the destruction of two locomotives between Le Havre and Rouen.

James MacLachlan damaged a tug boat on the Seine and destroyed another locomotive near Yvetot.

That night James MacLachlan claimed destroyed two He 111s of Kustenfliegergruppe 506.

James MacLachlan trailed the German bombers back to France and attacked them where they believed they were safe.

James MacLachlan's tally stood at 11 air victories and he was becoming a recognised night flyer and ground-attack ace.

Kuttelwascher arrived and as James MacLachlan left and claimed another He 111 and Do 217.

James MacLachlan saw two flashes on the ground denoting a crashed aircraft after he attacked.

James MacLachlan flew as often as he could regardless of the activity.

James MacLachlan flew as a co-pilot in a Short Stirling heavy bomber and practiced fighter evasion techniques and then proceeded to fly 15 types of aircraft in 11 days.

James MacLachlan flew with the No 1426 Flight RAF which operated captured German aircraft.

James MacLachlan flew a Ju 88, M2+MK formerly of Kusten Flieger Gruppe 106 which force-landed at RAF Chivenor in November 1941.

James MacLachlan departed Liverpool for Canada aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth in a heavily guarded convoy and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 October 1942.

James MacLachlan was to teach British officer cadets in American flying schools RAF General Service Regulations to prepare them for when they entered an OTU in Britain.

Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama was designated as his headquarters but James MacLachlan was based at Eglin Air Force Base initially.

James MacLachlan's post necessitated trips to the Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama.

On 6 March 1943 James MacLachlan began the journey back to Britain.

James MacLachlan flew to Canada in a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar where he spent eight days with the RAF Ferry Command in Montreal flying B-25 Mitchells.

James MacLachlan flew one of these aircraft under the railway bridge in Quebec.

James MacLachlan visited his comrades in 1 Squadron based nearby at Ibsley before moving on to Hunsdon to see night fighter officer John Cunningham.

James MacLachlan may have wanted another squadron command but on 15 April 1943 James MacLachlan was sent back to the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Wittering.

On 19 April 1943 he received news that his brother Gordon James MacLachlan had been shot down over Brest, France while escorting B-24 bombers.

James MacLachlan was bitter at the loss of his brother and was keen to get back into action against the enemy.

James MacLachlan rejoined the AFDU at Wittering on 15 April 1943.

James MacLachlan flew Mustangs powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which proved so successful in later variants which flew and fought in the USAAF.

James MacLachlan was not content in his position and pestered his superiors for an operational posting after weeks of practicing air combat with RAF Army Cooperation Command.

James MacLachlan proposed to get through the Luftwaffe defence belt at low-altitude and consequently trained in low-level navigation by spending hours flying around England at tree-top height.

James MacLachlan had been a fighter pilot but was shot down and badly burned on 12 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain.

James MacLachlan said that he wanted one German fighter for each of the 15 operations he had endured since 1940.

James MacLachlan destroyed the first and shared the second with Page.

James MacLachlan was awarded a second Bar to his DFC while Page received the DFC.

Page and James MacLachlan flew to No 96 Squadron RAF which was then flying de Havilland Mosquito night fighters.

James MacLachlan requested his old gunner, Les Davies, who now piloted Mosquitos to join them.

Davies accepted but James MacLachlan was killed before he could take up the offer.

James MacLachlan saw MacLachlan pull back the canopy but apparently changed his mind about bailing out as the aircraft leveled out and descended.

James MacLachlan lingered for 13 days before succumbing to the wounds on 31 July 1943.

James MacLachlan was buried at Pont-l'Eveque Communal Cemetery in Grave 4, Zone 7.

Squadron Leader James MacLachlan has attacked goods trains, trucks and barges with damaging effect.

James MacLachlan is a gallant and skillful pilot whose example is an inspiration to all pilots.

The operation, which was planned by Squadron Leader James MacLachlan, was brilliantly executed and the successes were worthily earned.