The Airmen's Stories - P/O A C R McLure

Andrew Crawford Rankin McLure of Craigmillar, Edinburgh was born in 1916 in Symington, Ayrshire. His parents were Walter Mitchell McLure (1876-1936) and Alice Inglis McLure (nee Crawford 1883-1946).

He joined the RAFVR about May 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot and was called to full-time service on 1st September 1939. With his training completed he was commissioned and joined 87 Squadron in early July 1940.

In an action with Me109s off Portland Bill on 11th August he claimed one destroyed and then forced-landed near Warmwell, wounded in one leg. Back with the squadron he claimed a Me110 destroyed on 30th September.

He married Margaret Peggy Jones of Exmouth in April 1941 at Bathavon, Somerset.

Above image courtesy of the collection of F/O R Watson.

McLure was killed on 20th July 1942 as a Flight Lieutenant with 605 Squadron aged 24.  Two Havocs of the squadron were giving air experience flights to groundcrew. On one of the flights they took three Canadian servicemen who were based nearby in readiness for the Dieppe operation. The Havocs, AX921 and BT462, collided near Bracknell, killing all six men aboard.

The other RAF casualties were P/O RJ Bennett and P/O AH Tustain.

McLure is buried in Littlehampton Cemetery, Sussex.

Additional research courtesy of www.605squadron.co.uk.