Bennett's Staff

[Kyt]

Kenneth John Lawson 82728

P/O - 759231 LAC Kenneth John LAWSON (82728).28th July 1940
F/L 28th July 1942.
S/L 7th Sept. 1943

Distinguished Flying Cross. 18th April, 1941
Pilot Officer Kenneth John LAWSON (82721), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 149 Squadron.
This officer has completed 26 major operational night flights as navigator and observer, involving a total of 168 hours flying. He has shown outstanding devotion to duty, even to the extent of spending many hours of "stand-down" periods in perfecting his standard of astro-navigation, an accomplishment which has enabled him to locate targets when other aircraft have failed. His skill in navigation was particularly evident when on the night of 11th/12th February, during appalling weather and in spite of wireless failure soon after the take-of, his target was successfully located, accurately bombed and the aircraft safely navigated back to a base in England.

Distinguished Service Order 9th July, 1943
Acting Squadron Leader Kenneth John LAWSON, D.F.C. (82728), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 156 Squadron.
This officer is on his second operational tour and has taken part in a large number of attacks on well-defended and distant enemy targets such as Berlin, Spezia, and Cologne. Although Squadron Leader Lawson is a specialist navigation officer, he has shown the greatest determination to fly on every possible occasion. He has invariably completed his missions with high courage and devotion to duty.

Bar to Distinguished Service Order. 18th September, 1945
Wing Commander Kenneth John LAWSON, D.S.O., D.F.C. (82728),
R.A.F.V.R., 405 (R.C.A.F.) Sqn., with effect from ist January, 1945 (since deceased).
Wing Commader Lawson has a long record of operational flying. Since his last award he has participated in numerous attacks against heavily defended targets. This officer has proved himself an outstanding leader with a high sense of devotion to duty and a fearlessness which has inspired confidence in his less experienced subordinates. Both in the air and on the ground Wing Commander Lawson has displayed great zeal and efficiency.

156 Squadron RAF

Name: LAWSON, KENNETH JOHN
Initials: K J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Wing Commander (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 405 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn.
Age: 31
Date of Death: 02/01/1945
Service No: 82728
Awards: D S O and Bar, D F C
Additional information: Son of Frederic John and Beatrice Mary Lawson, of Ealing, Middlesex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 8. C. 1.
Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY

Lancaster PB477 405 Squadron. Mission to Nuremburg

T/O 1554 from Gransden Lodge. Crashed at Rohrau, 3 km ENE from the small town of Nufringen. W/C Lawson had participated in at least 92 operational sorties, while F/L Duke had served in India with 31 Sqdn, details of his DFM were Gazetted 21 Nov 1941.

W/C K J Lawson DSO & Bar DFC
Sgt S Rhodes PoW
P/O S H Fitzhenry RAAF
S/L N Crawford DFC RCAF
F/L E C Duke DFM
F/O G E Geeves DFC RCAF
W/O1 D G Plyley RCAF PoW

[Antipodean Andy]

Originally Posted by Andy in West Oz

Missed this last night, Kyt, sorry, as was posting about Ralston and then battling the scanner. I won so we're back on deck.

Three references in Mosquito Thunder:

Page 167:
December 23, 1944, Koln's Gremberg marshalling yards was the target in an attempt to stem the enemy's ability to re-supply its forces in the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge). Twenty-seven Lancs and three Oboe-equipped Mossies involved, one for each wave. Leading the second wave was a 35 Sqn Oboe-equipped Lanc supported by Mossie B.XVI ML981 "D-Bar" flown by S/L HA Almond DFC and F/O CRA Challis DFC. On the outbound leg, the Lanc in the third wave, F/L RE Jordan and F/L RW Plunkett witnessed two Lancs touch wings and spin in. Of the 14 crew, there were no survivors. Several chutes were spotted but sadly these men died from exposure before a launch could find them. Flak was heavy for the entire Oboe run and the lead Lanc of the first wave, S/L Robert Anthony Maurice "Bob" Palmer DFC and Bar, was on fire for a long time before spinning in. Palmer was awarded the VC, this was his 110th op (!!!!). Had he dropped his bombs, the rest of the formation would have done the same and missed the target. Enemy fighters that had been looking for USAAF aircraft reportedly in the area took their toll, the lead Mossie also going down with the loss of both crew.

The second wave, Almond's wave suffered as well. All aircraft had broken formation and were dive-bombing the target. The lead Lanc had three engines hit (S/L GW Harding DFC with S/L LW Millett DFC on the Oboe) but bombed the target.

Their back up Mosquito(Almond's aircraft) also suffered flak damage to the hydraulics and as a result the bomb doors would not open and so the bombs stayed on board.

Page 169: S/L Geoffrey WA Parker, the third wave Mossie, landed back at RAF Bourn. When he was preparing to exit, he saw that S/L Almond had managed to land his Mosquito. It had come in with a full complement of bombs still on board, on one engine, and without the use of an undercarriage....was ploughing its way relentlessly along the grassy part at the side of the runway and, to Parker's horror, was heading straight for him. Miraculously, they avoided collision and the bombs did not detonate as the aircraft skidded along on its belly to a halt. The crew then emerged safely, somewhat shaken but mercifully still intact, but their aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Page 175: DSO awarded to S/L HA Almond DFC.

[Kyt]

Alan George Seymour Cousens 44076

P/O - 564836 Sergeant Alan George Seymour COUSENS (44076). 4th July 1940.
F/O 22nd Apr. 1941
F/L 23rd Nov. 1941
S/L 30th Oct. 1942

COUSENS, S/L Alan George Seymour (44076) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.3 Group Headquarters - awarded as per London Gazette dated 30 January 1942. Public Record Office Air 2/9578 states that his date and place of birth not available, but his father, Lieutenant-Colonel G.B.S. Cousens, MC, was living in Georgetown, Alberta. Curiously, Squadron Leader Cousens is not listed in any documents recording CAN/RAF personnel. The following citation (found in Air/9578) was drafted when he had flown 39 sorties (238 operational hours):

Three of Squadron Leader Cousens' flights were to Berlin, and when returning from one of these operations, one night in February 1940, fog compelled him to abandon the aircraft by parachute. In so doing he broke his ankle. Since he was selected in June 1941 as Group Navigation Officer, he has set an admirable example by taking every opportunity to engage in night operations. His skill as a navigator and total disregard for his own safety have been quite outstanding. His flights have been mostly against heavily defended targets in Germany.

http://www.airforce.ca/canraf/CANRAF.A-D.html

COUSENS, Alan George Seymour, Acting S/L, DFC (44076) - Czech Military Cross 1939 - 14 April 1942..

Distinguished Service Order 6th November, 1942
Acting Wing Commander Alan George Seymour COUSENS, D.F.C. (44076), No. 115 Squadron.
By his untiring efforts as navigator and his terrific keenness to press home the attack, this officer has contributed in a large measure to the success achieved by his squad ron. He is a fine squadron commander, who has raided many of the highly important industrial targets in enemy territory.

Name: COUSENS, ALAN GEORGE SEYMOUR
Initials: A G S
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Wing Commander (Nav.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 635 Sqdn.
Age: 30
Date of Death: 22/04/1944
Service No: 44076
Awards: D S O, D F C
Additional information: Military Cross (Czechoslovakia). Son of Gordon Bryce Seymour Cousens and Dorothy Cousens; husband of Nan Phyllis Cousens, of Kensington, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 2. Row AB. Grave 10.
Cemetery: ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY

Lancaster ND508 635 Squadron. Mission to Laon
22/23 April 1944

T/O 2123 from Downham Market carrying one of the assigned Master Bombers, W/C Cousens. No details on cause of loss.

P/O D H Courtney Evd (captured 5 June 1944)
Sgt J Belton killed
F/Sgt R Holmes killed
W/C A G S Cousens DSO DFC MC (Czech) killed
F/Sgt R D Casajuana killed
F/Sgt WHewitt killed
Sgt J G Morris killed
Sgt W Lee killed

[Kyt]

Cheers Andy

[Antipodean Andy]

Originally Posted by Andy in West Oz

Missed this last night, Kyt, sorry, as was posting about Ralston and then battling the scanner. I won so we're back on deck.

I'll have to do the rest of Ralston later in the week.

[Kyt]

Eric Harold Bagnald 85020

P/O - 742963 LAC Eric Harold BAGNALD (85020) 8th Sept. 1940.
F/O 8th Sept. 1941
F/L 17th May 1942
S/L 20th June 1944

Commission relinquished. Squadron Leader E. H. BAGNALD, D.F.C. (85020)
(on appointment to the Royal Canadian Air Force). 2nd Nov. 1954.

Distinguished Flying Cross. 25th July, 1941
Pilot Officer Eric Harold BAGNALD (85020), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 10 Squadron.
One night in June, 1941, this officer was the navigator of an aircraft which carried out an attack on Bremen. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire and searchlight activity in the target area, Pilot Officer Bagnald, although the cockpit in which he was operating was penetrated by shell splinters, executed his duties as bomb aimer for some 25 minutes in the most difficult circumstances. On the return journey,
Pilot Officer Bagnald was wounded in the left arm and although in great pain, he continued his navigational duties under severe difficulties and ensured the safe return of his aircraft. Throughout the operation this officer showed great courage and devotion to duty.

Picture:
Search Results

[Nostalgair]

It appeared in Flypast about 18 months ago, titled "We Lead, Others Follow". The squadron motto.

I don't have a PDF of it unfortunately.

Cheers

Owen

[Kyt]

Leslie Reginald Hastings 124562

P/O - 1377848 LAC Leslie Reginald HASTINGS (124562) 20th June 1942
F/O 20th Dec. 1942
F/L 3rd April 1944


Ooops
Cashiered by sentence of General Court-Martial F/L. L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562). 26th Feb. 1946

Distinguished Flying Cross. 7 September 1943
Flying Officer Leslie Reginald HASTINGS (124562) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 49 Squadron.

Mentioned in Despatches 1st January, 1945
Acting Squadron Leader L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562), RA.F.V.R.

Mentioned in Despatches 8 June 1945
Acting Squadron Leader L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562), R.A.F.V.R

[Antipodean Andy]

Ah, yes, I've seen mention of it in the FlyPast review of Down to Earth. I'll ask a mate who used to work for Key Publishing as assistant editor-type.

[Kyt]

It was in the Sept 2007 Edition:

Key Publishing Limited FlyPast September 2007