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George Maclean
Born	11 January 1919 Manly, New South Wales
Died	30 September 2013 Newport, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1939-1946
Rank	Wing Commander
Unit	No. 59 OTU No. 41 Squadron RAF No. 249 Squadron RAF
Commands held	No. 610 Squadron RAF No. 76 Squadron RAAF
Battles/wars	Second World War European Theatre Mediterranean Theatre Siege of Malta
Awards	Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & One Bar
Other work	Commercial Pilot

George Martin Maclean, DSO, DFC & One Bar (11 January 1919 - 30 September 2013) was an Australian aviator and flying ace of the Second World War. Enlisting in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in March 1939, he completed flying training before being assigned to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Maclean is accredited with 10 (and 2 shared) aerial victories and was shot down three times. After the war, Maclean created the Eastern Maritime Company, a chartered commercial maritime operation based out of Sydney, Australia, which he ran until his retirement. Maclean died on 30 September 2013.

Early Life

The oldest son of W. and J. Maclean, George was born on the 11th of January 1919, at Manly, New South Wales. He was educated at Manly Primary School and then Harboard High School before moving to Wollongong to work as a stablehand whilst studying part time at University of Wollongong.

Military Service

On 12 March 1939, Maclean enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force several months before the outbreak World War II; He was trained as a pilot at No. 1 Flying Training School (RAAF Station Point Cook). After completion of initial flight training and the outbreak of the Second World War, Maclean was transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of Australia's allied commitment to Great Britain, and assigned to No. 5 OTU (Operational Training Unit) to train onto the Supermarine Spitfire MkIa.

Battle of Britain

On June 1940, Maclean was assigned to report to No. 41 Squadron RAF, where he moved onto the Spitfire MkIIa. Upon the imminent invasion of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany in July 1940, No. 41 Squadron took part in the air defence against German fighters and bombers as part of the Battle of Britain. Maclean fought in the Battle of Britain, being fortunate enough to survive his first combat mission after taking numerous hits from a German Messerschmitt 110, returning his damaged aircraft to the allied airfield (casualties where highest on a pilots' first couple of sorties). Maclean claimed his first aerial victory on 31 July 1940, when he downed a German Messerschmitt 109. No.41 Squadron moved off the frontline on 16 August for rest and recovery, having only lost one pilot and two wounded.

On 3 September 1940, Maclean and No. 41 Squadron returned to the frontline of Britain's defence. On 5 September, the squadron experienced one of it's blackest days in its history, now in the thick of the Battle of Britain, the squadron lost it's commanding officer whom was killed in action along with four other pilots shot down and another two wounded. During this mission Maclean was shot down over the coast of Dover, however the engagement was low level and Maclean did not have sufficient altitude to bail. Instead, he crash landed the damaged Spitfire in a field inland, leaving the crash relatively unharmed with only minor injuries. Maclean continued flying sorties and gained another two aerial victories before the end of the Battle of Britain and received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Operation Jubilee

After the end of the Battle of Britain, Maclean was one of only four original pilots of No. 41 Squadron. On February 1941, the squadron begun to reorganise, following a five month break and new pilots and airframes arriving, the battle-harden pilots of the Battle of Britain were moved for a much needed recovery period; Maclean was promoted to Flying Officer (FLGOFF) and reassigned back to No. 59 OTU as an instructor on the new MkV Spitfire.

July 1942, Maclean returned to No. 41 Squadron upon receiving promotion to Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT), taking part in numerous sorties including defensive patrols of Britain and offensive attacks on the German occupied France. Several months later he took part in Operation Jubilee on 19 August; an allied raid on the German occupied French port of Dieppe. 8 Squadrons of Spitfires committed to the offensive, however the allies failed to lure the Luftwaffe into open battle, and numerous aircraft were lost (106 British to 48 German). Maclean achieved another aerial victory during Operation Jubilee, however, due to the heavy losses experienced by the RAF, Maclean retreated along with the rest of the 82nd Air Wing.

Malta and the Mediterranean Theatre

After the failure of the Dieppe Raid, No. 41 Squadron was taken out off action with many pilots killed or missing. In early 1943, Maclean was assigned to No. 249 Squadron RAF as a senior spitfire pilot (249 Squadron was transitioning to the Spitfire from the Hawker Hurricane) and subsequently moved to the Mediterranean Theatre in preparation for the allied counter attack of the German invasion of Malta.

During the Siege of Malta, after the German air superiority attacks and a cut off and struggling allied forces in Malta, of which only several Spitfire MkV's were left and still airworthy, the RAF on 9 May 1943 delivered another 64 Spitfires as part of Operation Bowery, to counter the significant advantage the Germans had held. Maclean (now a flight lead) fought as part of the counter attack by RAF forces in Malta and upon the first week of combat achieved two aerial victories in one mission with another kill confirmed several days after, leaving Maclean at seven confirmed aerial victories, achieving ace status during the operation and again receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. Finally Axis forces felt the presence of Allied air powers, and lost 37 aircraft.

After pushing the Axis powers back into Italy, Maclean continued fighting in August 1943 with No. 249 Squadron, taking part in the allied invasion of Sicily, achieving another victory over Italy. After months of hard fighting and numerous losses, Maclean and the remaining members of No. 249 Squadron finally returned to the United Kingdom for rest. Maclean, during an interview on Remembrance Day described the fighting in Malta and Italy:

"The hardest combat flying we had endured since the peak of the Battle of Britain. It was truly a sore day for us all, and those boys that I served with during those days were some of the best pilots I had ever flown with."

Return to the European Theatre

On 31 June 1944, after recovering from the combat seen in the Mediterranean, Maclean was subsequently promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader (SQNLDR) and given command of No. 610 Squadron RAF. Maclean was tasked with commanding the squadron as they returned from combat rest, onto the newest variant of the Spitfire, the MkXIVb and preparing them for their final push into Nazi Germany. Towards the end of 1944, Maclean successfully led the Squadron in its mission to provide fighter cover for the allies moving into Germany and achieved another confirmed victory. In January 1945, as the Luftwaffe was on its final legs attempting to maintain air superiority over Germany, No. 610 Squadron, while providing cover for United States Air Force bombers, encountered elite Jagdgeschwader 11 fighters. During the engagement, Maclean shot down another two aircraft, his final two victories of the war, and successfully led the bombers to a day time raid at the heart of Nazi Germany.

After several more months of decreasing combat, No. 610 Squadron saw the end of the war in the European Theatre in April 1945. During the last weeks of the war, Maclean was awarded with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his leadership of No. 610 Squadron in the operations against Germany.

Return to Australia

After the end fall of Nazi Germany, Maclean was relieved of his command of No. 610 Squadron and transferred back to the Royal Australian Air Force after nearly six years in Europe. He was acknowledged by RAAF command as a capable leader, and was promoted to Wing Commander (WGCDR) assigned to command of No. 76 Squadron RAAF in July 1945. During this time, Maclean prepared his new squadron for the introduction of the infamous P-51 Mustang and the eventual deployment to the South-East Asian Theatre to fight the Japanese Empire, however in October 1945, Japan officially surrendered, and the Second World War had finally ended. Maclean eventually retired his commission on 3 January 1946.

Later Life

After the war, Maclean retired to his parents farm and worked part time at a logistics company before founding the Eastern Maritime Company (EMC) in 1955. He married Sylvie Harrington in 1957 and attended several talks at Australian universities about his experiences during WWII. George Maclean died in 2013 and is survived by his four children and numerous grandchildren, one of whom has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, and is currently serving in the United States Navy as a Naval Aviator.