Gordon Rae Mac LACHLAN

Source : Ellen Myers Marchese

29 August 1918 Newton,

Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS 

Spouse : Barbara Delefield Greene

Daughter : Diane 

Parents : Andrew MacLACHLAN & Mary LOWDEN (Origine Britannique)
Siblings : William, James, Andrew, Edwin, Malcolm, Barbara & Andrea

Source : Royzee

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  

Marigny N°3555

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of St James American Cemetery

By : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

Early life

Gordon Rae MacLachlan was born on August 29, 1918 in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Andrew and Mary MacLachlan, two British immigrants. His father, Andrew, was born in March 1870 in Carlisle, England, and worked as a spinner. His mother, Mary G (Née Lowden), was born in August 1879 in Glasgow, Scotland.
He had five brothers (William, James, Andrew, Edwin and Malcolm) and two sisters (Barbara and Andrea).
Andrew, Mary and their three children (William, James and Andrew) immigrated to the US in 1910. The family departed Liverpool onboard the Saxonia on May 10, 1910 arriving in Boston, Massachusetts after a cruise of 9 days. They made their home in the Boston area.

Gordon grew up in Newton and lived on Los Angeles Street. In the 1920s, he and his family moved to Andover and lived on Fletcher Street and Haverhill Street.
He attended the local schools, including the Punchard High School (graduation in 1936 to be confirmed).

Then, Gordon was employed as an operator at the American Woolen Company Shawnee Mills in Andover, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of men’s and women’s worsted and woolen fabrics.

Gordon met Barbara Delefield Greene (born on February 6, 1921 in Essex, Vermont)and married her on February 3, 1940 at the Church of Messiah Auburndale, Massachusetts. They made their home on Main Street in Andover (US Census 1940) and later on Oakland Avenue in Auburndale. The couple had a baby girl, lost at the age of 9 months old to a congenital heart condition.

At the time of his draft registration on October 16, 194, he was described as 5’8and 152lbs, ruddy complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.

From Civilian to US Army Officer

Gordon was drafted into the US Army on October 26, 1942 as a Private. He was first sent to the induction center at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. His first serial number was 31226794.

He was then stationed at Camp Gordon, Georgia, a US Army Training Center for infantry and armor.
“The purpose was to turn the new recruits who entered the service into teams of fighters who could work seamlessly with one another to achieve their objectives. To do this, basic training taught a new recruit to think of himself less as an individual and more as an integral part of his unit”.

According to newspaper records, he was sent from Camp Gordon to Officer Candidate School to undergo a rigorous course designed to train, assess, evaluate, and develop his skills. There, Gordon was taught the basics of being an officer and skills in the field, especially the ability to lead a team. From there he was deployed to Fort Knox, Kentucky, the home of the Army Armor School, where he was temporarily appointed a 2nd Lieutenant on May 15, 1943. He shipped overseas in January 1944 as part of an unknown armor unit.

Picture with Barbara - Gordon was photographed with his wife Barbara just before shipping out.

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

We keep the faith

Gordon was assigned to A Company, 743rd Tank Battalion on July 3, 1944 from 449th Replacement Depot and joined them the next day. He joined A Company as Maintenance and Repair Officer, commanding maintenance troops that went forward and retrieved shot up tanks under fire.

The 743rd Tank Battalion was an independent battalion activated at Fort Lewis, Washington on May 16, 1942. After training in California and Arizona, the battalion shipped to the United Kingdom in November 1943. The unit was ultimately reorganized to include a headquarters section (with the Battalion HQ staff, administrative section, maintenance section, mortar platoon, assault gun platoon, and reconnaissance platoon) ; three medium tank companies (A-B-C Companies)and a light tank company (D Company), each with a headquarters section of three tanks, three platoons of four tanks, a maintenance section and an administrative section . The medium companies were equipped with M4 Sherman tanks. Its crews consisted of a tank commander who sat in the back right side of the turret, the gunner
(sat right in front of the commander), the loader, the driver and the co-driver. The most dangerous crew station was the commander with his head stuck out making him a prime target, when the rest of the crew was buttoned up in the tank.

Each battalion was commanded by a Colonel or Lt. Colonel with a Major as the XO. Each company was commanded by a captain (or by a lieutenant because the casualty rate of company commanders was very high). Platoons were commanded by a 1st or 2ndLieutenant with a sergeant in command of each tank. Each company in the battalion was attached to a regiment in the infantry division they supported and each platoon in the company was attached to an infantry company.

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

The Maintenance Section was responsible for the company's second echelon maintenance (between maintenance done by the crews and maintenance done at the battalion). The section was equipped with an unarmed M3A2 half-track (with a M9 Bazooka on board), one Jeep and one M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, used to lift and tow damaged vehicles. The section in all had a complement of Tank Mechanics, an Artillery Mechanic, Radio Repairman, Armorer, Technical Sergeant and Maintenance Officer. The Maintenance Officer was also the Company's second-in-command.

The 743rd Tank Battalion was selected to be one of three tank battalions to participate in the invasion of France. Its landing force stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 under heavy German fire, supporting the 116th Infantry Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division. Being used where it was needed in the first week of battle, the battalion was attached to the 30thInfantry Division on June 14, 1944, which had suffered heavy casualties. The 30th Infantry Division consisted of the 117th, 119th and 120th Infantry Regiments and their support units.

On June 19th 1944, the battalion became a complete unit in France, as the rear forces arriving from England rejoined the unit. For two weeks, the battalion re-shaped to a full-strength outfit, re-equipped, and the men received extra training.

In Normandy, the countryside is made up of hedges averaging 5 meters tall, which served to delimit the tortuous fields, retain the flow of water and keep the cows within their properties as well as apple and pear orchards, small roads and hills. The Germans took advantage of this terrain to build their defense positions.

Hedgerow warfare to Saint Lô

When Gordon joined A Company on July 4, 1944, his company was stationed ¼ mile south west of La Hatainerie (midway between Isigny sur Mer and Lison), Normandy, France. In Normandy, the 743rd Tank Battalion was in support of the 30th Infantry Division and participated in the drives to Saint Lô, and to Avranches after the Saint Lô breakout on July 25, 1944, and pushed back the enemy counterattack in Mortain (launched during the night of August 6/7, 1944).

On July 4, 1944, the 743rdTank battalion was ordered to support the 120thInfantry Division in the attack on La Vire river, and to be ready to jump off the next day. However, the attack was postponed for 48 hours.

On July 7, 1944, the 30th Infantry Division crossed La Vire river,led by the 117th Infantry Regiment,and advanced towards Hill 30. The 120th and 119th Infantry Regiments soon joined the attack.One platoon of C Company and two platoons of D Company were attached to the 120th Infantry Regiment while the rest of the battalion including A Company was attached to the 117th Infantry Regiment. Then, the 743rd TB was attached to the 120th Infantry Regiment on July 9, 1944 in support of the regiment pushing to the south. On this day, B Company, on the right of the 120th Infantry Regiment, was trapped by a German counter attack. The company was advancing down a farm road toward a fork when the tanks were boldly attacked by German armored forces (tanks and their supporting infantry), flanking the US forces and racing down the roads from the fork. In a matter of 15 minutes, B Company was shot up and forced to abandon its vehicles.

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

The battalion was reattached to the 117th Infantry regiment on July 12, 1944, still supporting the attack to the south.
For 3 days, the troops slowly advanced, encountering heavy artillery and mortar fire and enemy counterattacks. The next days they advanced south west towards Le Désert and Pont Hébert and reached their objective in the vicinity of Les Hauts Vents, between Le Désert and Pont Hébert.

During the drive, A Company suffered casualties. 2nd Lieutenant Mihiel Sturbitz (a tank Platoon Officer) was killed in action on July 8, 1944 reducing the number of officers to 4 including Gordon. 1st Lieutenant Henry Jones (Commanding Officer of A Commander, was then wounded in action on July 10, 1944.

Day by day, the battalion remained in support of defensive positions and cleaning up operations for the 30th Infantry Division, and then in the attack to the south toward Pont Hébert. The Germans launched several counterattacks with tanks and infantrymen, and on July 16, 1944, B Company was forced to withdraw to the rear area to reorganize, as all the companies’ officers and sergeants were casualties.At some time on July 17, 1944, the tank battalion was sent to a rear area for repair and maintenance, and personnel training.

It took 11 days to advance a bit better than 7 miles, field by field and hedge by hedge, against a stubborn enemy. They reached the outskirts of Saint Lô where the frontline became stable with each unit preparing for the big push.

Operation Cobra

Operation Cobra was an offensive launched by the American forces to break through the German defensive positions in Normandy, push south to Vire and west to Avranches, opening a corridor to Brittany. The 30th Infantry Division occupied positions northwest of Saint Lô. The 743rd Tank Battalion reach the fields north of Hebecrevon.

On July 24, 1944, the attack began. The morale of the troops soared as they saw Allied planes flying overhead and heard the sounds of the bombs exploding on the German positions. It looked good and it sounded good! The units withdrew behind the bomb safety line, but the bombs began to fall short and fell on the troops and tanks as they began to move forward. There was panic and confusion on the ground and the attack was finally postponed for 24 hours. The 743rdTank Battalion was miraculously intact with only one manwounded.

On July 25, 1944, the air attack started off as before, but the US ground forces waited to attack. At 9:38 AM, the fighter-bombers struck the enemy lines, and the infantry began to move by 11:00 AM.But, once again the bombs fell short. Communications Sergeant John Orvind recalled: “I was looking up, watching our medium bombers. I was standing near one of our dozers just in case. I thought a dozer would bethe good thing to get under if anything went wrong. When the bombers were directly over our heads, I saw that their bomb bays were open and I thought 'Oh-oh! Here she comes!' Then the bombs came out. They looked like a handful of peanuts-dots coming straight down at you ....”.

After a moment of panic, all units reorganized and began to advance. The 743rd tank battalion was attached as follows: C Company and one platoon of D Company to the 119th Infantry Regiment, A and B Companies and D Company less one platoon to the 120th Infantry Regiment for the attack. They attacked Hebecrevon in a column, supporting the infantry under enemy artillery fire, moving very slowly.

Lieutenant Ticknor, A Company, was killed in action and two tanks were knocked out. Encountering German tanks, A Company knocked out at least two tanks as recalled in the 743rd Tank Battalion History : “After our fire fights we saw a lot of Jerry tanks lying around there as we moved on through," one tank commander described it. "Some of them had apparently been bombed out by the air strike. It was hard to tell who had knocked out what. We reported four enemy tanks K. O'd“.

On July 26, and 27, 1944,the battalion was attached to regiments where it was needed, in support to the attack southeast towards Hebecrevon and Tessy Sur Vire.

According to the 743rd tank Battalion History, “early on the morning of July 26th, Able Company and two platoons of Dog Company's light tanks were ordered attached to the ll7th Infantry Regiment. The tanks started out to find the infantry they were to work with. They moved up to Hebecrevon in column on the road. The first two lead tanks · turned a corner in the town, getting by without mishap, but the next two were knocked out by enemy direct fire. Foot reconnaissance failed to disclose what type of weapon had fired on the corner or its location. After talking it over, the remaining tanks in line decided to charge the corner, taking it at the highest speed possible. The tanks charged past at intervals, but the enemy gun did not fire again”. On the same day, the battalion was sent to a rear area for maintenance and repair, remaining away from enemy artillery fire;

The battalion was back on the front line the day after, still in support of the 117th Infantry regiment (less B Company for other assignment) to prevent the enemy from crossing La Vire river. For a few days, they advanced very slowly, encountering heavy enemy fire, consisting of 88 artillery, dug-in tanks and riflemen.
The battalion was next attached to the 119th Infantry Regiment on July 29, 1944 in support of the capture of the town of Troisgots. Advance was slow until the town was secured by the end of the day.
On July 30, 1944, A Company, 743rd TB was badly hit with 6 tanks knocked out of action and was forced to be sent in reserve. B, C, and D Companies remained on the front, taking the heights about Tessy sur Vire and destroying several enemy tanks and machine guns. This day, Lieutenant Hansen’s C Company infiltrated the town (still in enemy hands) with a bazooka team and knocked out two German tanks before returning to the battalion.
On July 31, 1944, the front line has extended to the outskirts of Tessy sur Vire. In the last hours of July, the 743rdTank Battalion was sent to a rear area for rest and re-equipment, midway between Hebecrevon and Tessy. They had lost about half of their tanks and suffered a high number of casualties (Tessy sur Vire was finally secured the first days of August 1944.).

On the morning of August 6, 1944, the battalion moved 40 miles to south of Le Mesnil-Rainfray, near Mortain.
B Company was assigned to the 120th Infantry Regiment through enemy territory to Barenton, southeast of Mortain.

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

Route in Normandy

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

A sherman’s column, ambushed near Mortain

Source : Diberville.blogspot.com

“Operation Lüttich”, Mortain

Concerned by the extremely rapid advance of the Americans in the sector of Mortain, the Germans launched Operation Lüttich during the night of August 6/7, 1944, a powerful attack toward the sea to split the US forces on the Normandy and Brittany peninsula. The 30thInfantry Division was hit hard in the section of the 117thInfantry Regiment near Saint Barthelemy. Saint Barthelemy was a small village with homes and farms, on the main road leading to the west of Normandy. Hill 314 dominated the village to its north. Enemy tanks and infantrymen were repelled, but the battle of Mortain lasted for 6 days.

According to the 743rd Tank Battalion History, “the 743rd Tank Battalion moved its mortar, assault gun and reconnaissance platoons on the morning of August 7th out of the Ramfray fields to cover all road junctions within a radius of 2,500 yards leading west from Mortain. They were guarding the Division's right flank. All men, alerted for the counter-attack, helped set up road blocks everywhere. Bazookas were made ready for instant use. The tanks took up defensive positions, prepared to meet the onslaught of Mark IVs and Vs that von Rundstedt had committed by the hundreds. Charlie Company moved into position on the Division's left flank in the hills three miles northwest of Mortain. At the close of the first day's attack, no one was too sure just what the situation was except that it was not good. The German armored punch penetrated the Mortain defenses, overran positions, and threatened a general breakthrough. Hill 314, held by the 120th Infantry's 2nd Battalion, was completely surrounded. But nobody was giving up. The Germans pounded at the road blocks that were holding up their armor. Division artillery, augmented by the 743rd's assault guns and its mortars, pounded right back. There were casualties at the roadblocks, but guns still fired, ammo still got up to them, and the panzers did not get by”.

According to the morning reports of A Company, Gordon was killed in action on August 7, 1944 at about 8:00 PM. At the time of his death, he was serving as a Tank Platoon Leader and as a Tank Commander. The exact circumstances of his death were not detailed. Sergeant Hembree, A Company, was wounded in action by small arms fire.

According to the morning report of August 7, 1944, “Co A left bivouac area divided into two sections ; 1st section to Romagny - 2nd section to Mortain – encountered enemy small arms + artillery fire. Throughout the day Company reorganized + bivouacked. 1 OFF KIA 1EM SWA”.

Gordon’s body was first buried Block K, Row 3, Grave 52 at the temporary cemetery #3555 of Marigny, France. After the war, his remains were ultimately transferred to the Brittany American Cemetery where he was laid to rest. He is buried in Block I, Row 10, Grave 20.


Gordon was awarded the Purple Heart, the World War Two Victory Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign.

Picture of the grave of Gordon at the Brittany American Cemetery taken in October 2023

Source : kiki_1987211(Fold3)

A last letter

Gordon was sadly killed in action two weeks before his daughter, Diane, was born on August 23, 1944. He wrote his last letter on August 3, 1944 :

“I am sitting under an apple tree in an orchard, the sun is shining and I have a fifth of scotch and one of gin beside me. We just go our liquor ration. It costs about [$1.25] for gin and [$1.50] for scotch. It seems impossible that a while ago we were fighting for our lives. I’ve talked to officers from the infantry and other units who saw action in Italy and Africa and they say this is by far the toughest fighting they have seen yet.
When you get this letter you should be a mother. It will be a long time before the baby will be able to realize how lucky she is to be yours. I feel and all ways have felt that [I am] luckiest guy in the World to have you for my wife. My love for you it will burst. If I could only tell you how much you mean to me… and how I long to get home to you, but I can’t seem to find the right words. Right now as I have the picture we took at Fort Knox in front of me. When I look at it, it brings back so many memories, and reminds me of how sweet you are. Baby I am afraid you are going to take an awful beating when I get back. I love you. Get one of these black nighties and some black lace undies. One night I dreamt of you and that what you were wearing. I’m going to try and get more much needed sleep now, Darling.
I hope I get some mail from you tonight.
I adore you my angel, your husband and by the time you get this, Proud Father. Gordon.