MacLachlan, Alastair Robert Anderson

Date of birth:: January 16th, 1922
Date of death:: September 7th, 1943
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Durnbach
Plot: 7. Row: E. Grave: 18.
Service number:: 1164171 (NCO)/121205 (Officer)
Nationality:: British

Biography

Watson's from 1929 to 1939, when he was awarded the Midland Counties Colliery Burners Association Bursary to study Mining Engineering at Sheffield University. Entering the R.A.F., he was commissioned in April 1942 as a Pilot and awarded the D.F.C. in August.
On 6 September Lancaster Type:Mk.III Serial Number:JB177 took off from Warboys with MacLachlan on board as Pilot to bomb a target in München. She was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed in the Sauerlach district of München. Of the seven crew members all but three were killed.
JB177 was one of three No.156 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation.

Promotions:
? Flight Sergant
30 April, 1942: Pilot Officer on Probation (emergency)
30 October, 1942: Flying Officer on Probation (war sub)

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Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Pilot Officer
Unit:: No. 156 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: August 11th, 1942

Citation:
"This officer is employed as captain of aircraft. Throughout the numerous sorties in which he has participated he has displayed exceptional tenacity and has pressed home his attacks with the utmost vigour. He has on two occasions been attacked by an enemy fighter, but his skilful manouevering has enabled his gunner to shoot one of them down in flames and probably destroyed the other. Amongst many of the enemy targets he has attacked such importants places as Brest, Cologne, Hamburg, Essen and Rostock."