McLauchlen, John E.
Army 2nd lieutenant

John E. McLauchlen, age 25, from Michigan.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Second Lieutenant John E. McLauchlen Jr. entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Michigan and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group. He was the pilot of this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. 2nd Lt McLauchlen was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant McLauchlen is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Cemetery: Fort Leavenworth

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Herald Palladium (2024)