Hector MacLean
Encyclopedia
Wing Commander Hector MacLean AE* (9 December 1913 - 19 July 2007) was a Battle of Britain
fighter pilot.
, Dorset
and the University of Glasgow
, from where he graduated Bachelor of Laws
in 1935.
He joined the Royal Air Force
(Service Number 90166) in November 1935, after his graduation from university. He was commissioned in March 1936, and joined No. 602 Squadron RAF
flying Hawker Hind
s, and later Hawker Hart
s.
By 1939, 602 Sqn were flying Spitfires
and MacLean flew with the Sqn throughout the Battle of Britain
. He claimed two shared kills, a Heinkel He 111
on 22 December 1939 and a Junkers Ju 88
in July 1940.
On 26 August 1940 MacLean was severely wounded over the Channel, but managed to return and belly-land his badly damaged aircraft at Tangmere. His injuries resulted in the loss of his right leg below the knee and a lengthy hospitalisation. He was then unable to continue flying, and became a fighter controller and scrambled the intercept when Rudolph Hess made his lone flight to Scotland on 10 May 1941.
He retired on transfer to the reserve on the 1 April 1950 and relinquished his RAF commission on 2 December 1957.
He joined his family's law firm after the war and in 1999 wrote 'Fighters in Defence, Memories of the Glasgow Squadron.' One of the longest lived Battle of Britain veterans, he died in 2007 aged 93.
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
fighter pilot.
Biography
MacLean was educated at Canford SchoolCanford School
Canford School is a coeducational independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the village of Canford Magna, near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, in South West England. The school was founded in 1923. There are approximately 600 pupils at Canford, organised into houses...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, from where he graduated Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1935.
He joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(Service Number 90166) in November 1935, after his graduation from university. He was commissioned in March 1936, and joined No. 602 Squadron RAF
No. 602 Squadron RAF
No 602 Squadron is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Originally formed in 1925 as a light bomber squadron, its role changed in 1938 to army co-operation and in 1939 to that of a fighter squadron....
flying Hawker Hind
Hawker Hind
-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....
s, and later Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
s.
By 1939, 602 Sqn were flying Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and MacLean flew with the Sqn throughout the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. He claimed two shared kills, a Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
on 22 December 1939 and a Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
in July 1940.
On 26 August 1940 MacLean was severely wounded over the Channel, but managed to return and belly-land his badly damaged aircraft at Tangmere. His injuries resulted in the loss of his right leg below the knee and a lengthy hospitalisation. He was then unable to continue flying, and became a fighter controller and scrambled the intercept when Rudolph Hess made his lone flight to Scotland on 10 May 1941.
He retired on transfer to the reserve on the 1 April 1950 and relinquished his RAF commission on 2 December 1957.
He joined his family's law firm after the war and in 1999 wrote 'Fighters in Defence, Memories of the Glasgow Squadron.' One of the longest lived Battle of Britain veterans, he died in 2007 aged 93.