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One-Armed Mac: The Story of Squadron Leader James MacLachlan DSO, DFC AND 2 BARS, CZECH WAR CROSS
Mac flew Fairey Battle light bombers during the Battle of France, winning his first DFC. He then retrained on fighters and flew Hurricanes towards the end of the Battle of Britain. Having volunteered to go overseas, he led a formation of six Hurricanes from the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Argus to the besieged island of Malta. Here, following several weeks of intense air combat during which he accounted for eight Italian and German aircraft, he was shot down by one of the Luftwaffe's top fighter aces, Oblt Joachim Müncheberg.
Severely wounded in the left arm, he nonetheless parachuted over the island and was rushed to hospital. The arm could not be saved. However, within sixteen days of the amputation, he persuaded his CO to allow him to fly a Magister two-seater, initially accompanied by another pilot, before going solo!
On his return to England, where he was fitted with an artificial arm, Mac was soon given command of No.1 Squadron equipped with Hurricane IICs for night intruder operations. By the end of 1942 he had accounted for five German night bombers and had been awarded the DSO and a Bar to his DFC, plus the Czech Military Cross.
Following a six-month goodwill trip to the United States, where he was feted as a fighter pilot hero wherever he went, he returned to operations with the Air Fighting Development Unit. In company with Geoffrey Page, he participated in the destruction of six Luftwaffe training aircraft in one single sortie; but, on his next mission, his Mustang was hit by ground fire when crossing the French coast and crash-landed, with Mac critically injured.
Taken prisoner, he died in captivity on 31 July 1943. Based on his diaries and letters,this is Mac's story, mainly told in his own words.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 25, 2024
James MacLachlan was another one of those unassuming individuals who fought in World War 2 and would never see himself as a hero.
He had an incredible war record, and that is saying something in a time when many had. Having joined the RAF pre-war on a short service commision, he found himself flying light bombers at the start of hostilities and deployed with the Advanced Air Striking Force to France where he survived flying Fairey Battles during the German onslaught in May 1940. Barely escpaping back to England, he volunteered for Fighter Command and so started his career as a fighter pilot towards the end of the Battle of Britain where he saw limited action.
Shortly after this he was transferred to Malta for its defence during the dark days of the siege there. This part of the book uses his diary entries extensively and it is an entertaining read to see what he thought and what he did on a daily basis, from his descriptions of the dog fights he had to their shenanigans during leaves spent, where these young men lived as though there would be no tomorrow.
After losing his arm in a dog fight with German fighters, he was in hospital for two weeks before flying again!! He left Malta and so begun an almost six month journey back to Englang via Africa. His escapades during this time is legendary and entertaining how he used every oppurtunity to fly an aircraft in order to be passed fit for operations again. And this he was when he got home to lead a night fighter squadron and still adding to his tally.
He eventually met his end flying long range penetrations flying Mustangs over occupied Europe, being the victim of small arms fire and succumbing to his injuries resulting from the crash. He was a tremendous pilot and an even better human being. His death was a great loss for mankind and who knows what he would have achieved is he had lived. Only 24 when he died, he lead a full life in that time. Highly recommended reading.
He had an incredible war record, and that is saying something in a time when many had. Having joined the RAF pre-war on a short service commision, he found himself flying light bombers at the start of hostilities and deployed with the Advanced Air Striking Force to France where he survived flying Fairey Battles during the German onslaught in May 1940. Barely escpaping back to England, he volunteered for Fighter Command and so started his career as a fighter pilot towards the end of the Battle of Britain where he saw limited action.
Shortly after this he was transferred to Malta for its defence during the dark days of the siege there. This part of the book uses his diary entries extensively and it is an entertaining read to see what he thought and what he did on a daily basis, from his descriptions of the dog fights he had to their shenanigans during leaves spent, where these young men lived as though there would be no tomorrow.
After losing his arm in a dog fight with German fighters, he was in hospital for two weeks before flying again!! He left Malta and so begun an almost six month journey back to Englang via Africa. His escapades during this time is legendary and entertaining how he used every oppurtunity to fly an aircraft in order to be passed fit for operations again. And this he was when he got home to lead a night fighter squadron and still adding to his tally.
He eventually met his end flying long range penetrations flying Mustangs over occupied Europe, being the victim of small arms fire and succumbing to his injuries resulting from the crash. He was a tremendous pilot and an even better human being. His death was a great loss for mankind and who knows what he would have achieved is he had lived. Only 24 when he died, he lead a full life in that time. Highly recommended reading.
August 24, 2023
With so much honor given an worthy man, it's hard to criticize this book. However, it is so very detailed, that a reader must have a high interest in all those aspects to really plow through this. It's not as much a story as it is excerpts of Mac's diary and letters, as well as others who knew him. While I appreciate the first hand reporting, a bit more narrative would help this flow and read better.
But it certainly was a book to honor so many, especially Mac, who were heroic at such a young age.
But it certainly was a book to honor so many, especially Mac, who were heroic at such a young age.
September 6, 2011
Excellent account, based on diaries and official reference material. The Operation White fiasco is also covered in Malta: The Hurricane Years 1940-41 and revised within HURRICANES OVER MALTA: June 1940 - April 1942. The truth has not survived, but the myth goes ever on.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews