MacLachlan, L J (Laughlan John)
MacLachlan, L J (Laughlan John)
Lieutenant Laughlan John MacLachlan was the son of Allan MacLachlan, and of Gertrude E. MacLachlan, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He lived at 159, Celendenon Avenue, Toronto, Canada and before the war worked as a Shipper and Stock Keeper for Leaside Ontario and joined the Canadian navy on the 26th of August 1940. He was promoted on the 27th of May 1943.
John along with thousands of others were part of Convoy SC-159. The convoy consisted of nearly sixty ships and was approaching the final, but most dangerous leg of its journey. By the 2nd of November it hoped to be safely in Liverpool’s Docks.
Unfortunately, during the night before at 02:10 am on the 1st of November 1944, John was onboard H.M.S. Whitaker[1] off the north coast of Ireland (close to Malin Head) when it was struck by two torpedoes on the bow[2] which had been fired by U-Boat U483.[3]
The forward magazine instantly exploded and ripped the bow completely off from just forward of the bridge. The captain and all seven of his officers were instantly killed along with 71 crew members.
Over the next two hours the remaining crew members managed to get the subsequent fires under control and stopped the ship from sinking. H.M.S. Whitaker was then towed to Londonderry port and finally onto Belfast. It would remain inactive for the rest of the war and then finally scrapped in 1948.
Lieutenant Laughlan John MacLachlan was recovered from H.M.S. Whitaker. There is also an unknown sailor from this ship buried in the City Cemetery.
He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star with Clasp, Defence Medal, War Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with two Clasps.
Date of Death: 01/11/44 (Aged 25)
Service: Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Whitaker.
Service Number: V22172
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, C. of E. Plot. Sec. F. Grave 44.
[1] H.M.S. Whitaker was a Destroyer and was launched in the USA December 1943 and finally scrapped during March 1945 by the US navy.
[2] The bow is the forward part of a ship.
[3] U-Boat U483 was launched October 1943 and would survive the war finally surrendering during May 1945.
