When McLarty climbed into his Hurricane fighter-bomber for a low-level attack on a German base in Libya, he needed to complete just two more missions to earn a long break from active duty. It was not to be.
"It was a very stupid operation ... the moment we crossed the coast I could see the soldiers waiting," recalled McLarty, now 85.
"I was hit immediately by ground fire in the engine and had oil all over my windscreen. All I could do was fly in formation with the guy next to me and then my tail was blown off."
McLarty's plane smacked into the ground, barrelled straight through two parked German fighters and ended up in a pile of empty gasoline drums.
