McKechnie, William Neil "Mac"

Date of birth:: August 27th, 1907 (Kasauli, India)
Date of death:: August 30th, 1944 (Pakorber, Germany)
Mentioned on:: Air Forces Memorial Runnymede
Service number:: 362701 / 26144
Nationality:: British

Biography

14 December 1929: Pilot Officer
14th June 1931: Flying Office
1st August 1938: Squadron Leader
1st December 1940: Wing Commander (temp.)
25 February 1943: Wing Commander (WS)

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Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM)

Rank:: Flight Cadet
Awarded on:: October 18th, 1929

"On 20 June, 1929, an aeroplane piloted by Flight Cadet C J Giles crashed on landing at RAF College Cranwell and burst into flames. The pilot was stunned, but managed to release his safety belt and fall out of the machine in a dazed condition. Flight Cadet McKechnie, who had landed in another aeroplane about the same time some two hundred yards away, left his machine and ran at full speed towards the scene of the accident. The petrol had spread over an area about ten yards in diameter, in full blaze, with Giles lying in it semi-conscious. McKechnie, without hesitation, ran into the flames and pulled out Giles, who was badly burned. McKechnie, who was himself scorched and superficially burned, then proceeded to extinguish Giles's burning clothing. There is no doubt that without McKechnie's assistance Giles would have been burned to death, as he was quite incapable of moving himself. His machine was entirely destroyed, and the ground for some distance around was burned up by the spread of the ignited petrol."

For this action Arnold was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal which later became the George Cross