Prev           BATTLE OF BRITAIN PILOTS           Next

Eric Stanley Lock (1919 - 1941)

Date of Birth: 19/04/1919
Nationality: English
Nickname: 'Sawn Off'
Career Rank: Lieutenant
BoB Kills: 21
Total Kills: 26

Eric Stanley Lock was born in Bayston Hill village, Shropshire. In 1939, war was looking increasingly likely so he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve to learn to fly so that he could become a fighter pilot.

During September 1939 war was declared and Eric was called up to the RAF as a pilot with the rank of Sergeant. He underwent further training at No 6 flying school and was then commissioned with the rank of Pilot Officer and posted to No 41 Squadron.

Eric got his first kill on 15th August 1940 when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 110. On the 5th of September 1940, he shot down 2 Heinkel He 111's and also had an encounter with a Messerschmitt Bf 109 which he managed to avoid and then promptly shoot down, though during this encounter Eric hurt his leg from damage caused to his Spitfire by the gun fire.

On the 6th September, despite his injured leg, Eric shot down a Junkers 88 taking his number of kills to 5 making him an ace. He shot down 2 Messerschmitt Bf 109's on the 9th September and a Junkers 88 and Messerschmitt Bf110 on the 11th September giving him an incredible tally of 8 kills in one week! For this feat, Eric was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

Eric maintained his impressive record and reached 15 kills in only 19 days for which he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. After a period of 4 weeks rotation rest, in mid-October Eric shot down 4 Messerschmitt Bf 109's bringing his total kills to 20.

On the 8th November 1940, after an encounter with several Messerschmitt Bf 109's, Eric's Spitfire was badly damaged and he crash landed in a 'ploughed' field, fortunately walking away to fight another day.

On the 17th November 1940, Eric's squadron was attacking a mass formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109's, one of which he shot down, when his Spitfire was badly damaged by cannon fire causing him to be badly wounded in his right arm and both legs. As fate would have it the throttle was damaged during this attack and became stuck wide open thus accelerating his Spitfire out of range of the enemy.

His Spitfire was too badly damaged for Eric to make a normal landing and he was too badly injured to bail out so he once again had to crash land. Eric was sent to the Princess Mary Hospital at RAF Halton where he underwent various operations to remove shrapnel from his wounds. Eric was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Eric was discharged from hospital in May 1941 and spent a month recuperating. In June 1941 he was promoted to Flying Officer and re-joined 41 Squadron where he remained for 4 weeks after which time he was further promoted to Flight Lieutenant and transferred to 611 Squadron and given command of B Group. After a few weeks in this new role, Eric shot down 4 more German aircraft giving him 26 kills.

On the 3rd of August Eric was returning from a sortie when he spotted a column of German troops on the ground and he attacked them with a strafing run. Eric and his Spitfire Mk V, serial No W3257 was never seen again and he was posted K.I.A.

"Lest we forget"

James Harry Lacey (1917 - 1989)

Date of Birth: 01/02/1917
Nationality: English
Nickname: 'Ginger'
Career Rank: Squadron Leader
BoB Kills: 18
Total Kills: 28

James Harry Lacey was born in Wetherby, Yorkshire. In 1937 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a trainee pilot and then went on to take an instructors course in 1938. At the outbreak of war in 1939 he was 'called up' and joined the Royal Air Force, Squadron No. 501.

501 Squadron were moved to France in May 1940 and James had his first taste of combat. He destroyed a Heinkel He 111, a Messerschmitt Bf109 and a Messerschmitt Bf 110 on 13th May 1940. On the 27th May 1940, James shot down two more Heinkel He 111's. On 9th June he had to crash land his Hurricane in a swamp. He was awarded the Croix de guerre for his service in France.

On the 19th June 1940, 501 Squadron were moved to England for the Battle of Britain. On 20th July 1940, James got his first Battle of Britain kill shooting down a Messerschmitt Bf 109E. On the 12th August he shot down a Junkers Ju 87, on the 24th August he shot down a Junkers Ju 88 and on the 29th August he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109.

On the 13th August his aircraft was shot up and he had to bail out, fortunately being unharmed. On the 23rd of August James Lacey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).

On the 30th August 1940, James shot down a Heinkel He 111 over London and received damage to his Hurricane's engine but rather than bailing out he managed to glide his stricken plane to the airfield at Gravesend. On the 31st of August he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109.

On the 2nd September 1940 James shot down 2 Messerschmitt Bf 109's and another 2 Bf 109's on the 5th September. On the 13th September he engaged a formation of Henkel He 111's and shot down one of them but had to bail out suffering slight injury.

On the 15th September 1940 James shot down a Heinkel He 111 and 3 Messerschmitt Bf 109's, due to the heavy fighting this date went on to be known as 'Battle of Britain Day'.

During a dog fight with Messerschmitt Bf 109's on the 17th September, James was shot down and bailed out. On the 27th of September he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109. In the month of October he shot down 3 more Messerschmitt Bf 109's, one on the 12th, one on the 26th and one on the 30th.

James Lacey was awarded a Bar to his DFM on 26th November 1940 after shooting down 18 aircraft during the Battle of Britain and 23 to date.

January 1941, James Lacey was commissioned and was promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant later in June as 'A' flight commander. On the 10th July 1941 he shot down a Heinkel He 59 seaplane and on the 24th July he caused 2 Messerschmitt Bf 109'2 to collide in mid-air. During August 1941 he was posted as flight instructor with 57 Operational Training Unit.

In March 1942 James joined 602 Squadron at Kenley and was then posted to 81 Group as Tactics Officer and later in the year as Chief Instructor at the No. 1 Special Attack Instructors School.

During March 1943, he was posted to 20 Squadron in India and then 1572 Gunnery Flight in July. He stayed in India and was posted to 155 Squadron in November of 1944 flying Spitfires and then at the end of the month as CO of 17 Squadron. On 19th February 1945, James got his last kill shooting down a Nakajima Ki 43.

After the war, James Lacey went to Japan with 17 Squadron and was the first Spitfire pilot to fly over Japan. He was posted back to England in May 1946 receiving a permanent commission and retired from the RAF on 5th March 1967 retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. James 'Ginger' Lacey died at the age of 72 on 30th May 1989.



"Lest we forget"

Archibald Ashmore McKellar (1912 - 1940)

Date of Birth: 10/04/1912
Nationality: Scottish
Nickname: 'Archie'
Career Rank: Flight Lieutenant
BoB Kills: 17
Total Kills: 21

Archibald Ashmore McKellar was born 10th April 1912 in Paisley, Scotland. On the 8th November 1936 he joined the Auxiliary Air force, 602 Squadron, as a Pilot Officer and was based at RAF Abbotsinch. The squadron were equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and as war approached it became an air defence fighter squadron at RAF Drem.

Pilot Officer "Archie" McKellar was involved with the first shooting down of an enemy plane during the first enemy attacked over the sea and he was also involved with the first shooting down of an enemy over Britain.

In early 1940, 605 Squadron was moved to Drem and McKellar was promoted to Flight Lieutenant of 605 Squadron as a flight leader.

On the 15th August 1940, "Archie" shot down 3 Heinkel He 111's sustaining minor damage to his Hawker Hurricane.

605 Squadron was moved to Croydon Aerodrome on the 7th September 1940 and on the 9th September 1940, McKellar shot down 3 Heinkel He 111's and 1 Messerschmitt Bf 109. McKellar took over the Squadron from Squadron Leader Walter Churchill on the 11th September 1940.

On the 13th September 1940 McKellar was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and on 15th September he shot down a further 4 enemy aircraft.

"Archie" also holds the distinction of shooting down 5 enemy aircraft in one day, 5 Messerschmitt Bf 109's on the 7th October 1940, achieving the status of an "Ace in a day".

By the 1st November 1940, McKellar had shot down 21 enemy aircraft and was leading a section of 605 Squadron to high altitude to intercept a wave of Messerschmitt Bf 109's. Against overwhelming odds, McKellar attacked the Messerschmitt Bf 109's but was shot down and killed, crashing his Mk I Hawker Hurricane near Adisham, Kent.

Flight Lieutenant Archibald McKellar was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on the 26th November 1940.

"Lest we forget"