Hector MacLean (RAF officer)

Wing Commander Hector MacLean AE* (9 December 1913 – 19 July 2007) was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot.

Charles Hector MacLean
Born	9 December 1913 Glasgow
Died	19 July 2007 (aged 93)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1938–1950
Rank	Wing commander
Service number	90166
Unit	No. 602 Squadron RAF
Commands	Commanding Officer – No 3602 Fighter Control Unit
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of Britain
Awards	AE & Clasp
Other work	Lawyer, Author

Biography

MacLean was educated at St Ninian's Preparatory School, Moffat; Canford School, Dorset and the University of Glasgow, from where he graduated Bachelor of Laws in 1935.

RAF career

He joined the Royal Air Force in November 1935, after his graduation from university. He was commissioned in March 1936, and joined No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron flying Hawker Hinds, and later Hawker Harts.

By 1939, 602 Squadron were flying Spitfires and MacLean flew with the squadron 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 English Channel, but managed to return and belly-land his badly damaged aircraft at RAF 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 Rudolf Hess made his lone flight to Scotland on 10 May 1941.

He retired on transfer to the reserve on 1 April 1950 and relinquished his RAF commission on 2 December 1957.

Postwar career

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.

MacLean is survived by his three sons Donald, Marcus, Charles and daughter Jane and his nine grandchildren.

References

• London Gazette Entries