Page 35 - issue05.04.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, April 5, 2019 P27

Obituaries

Lookout during the Great

Escape dies aged 101

ACK LYON, who has died that was so successful. Harry was was evacuated and the prisoners
aged 101, was one of the completed in March 1944. In were forced to march westwards
last surviving airmen the meantime, teams of forgers, in weather conditions that were
J involved in the mass mapmakers, tailors and engineers the worst for many years. Lyon was
escape from Stalag Luft III in carried on their secret work. eventually repatriated in May and
March 1944, which resulted in the Bushell’s plan was to send out he left the RAF in October 1945.
escape of 73 prisoners of whom 50 those with the best chance of He was not impressed with the
were shot by the Gestapo. success first. These included those popular film depicting the escape.
Lyon was working for Shell most involved in the escape work, He pointed out that the weather
when the Second World War broke the construction of the tunnel and was harsh and not spring-like, there
out and he tried to join the Army the linguists. were no Americans involved and
but the recruiting office was closed Once they were clear, the motorcycles were scarce.
so he went to the RAF and signed ACTIVE: Jack Lyon during his ‘hardarsers’ – those with little When asked his views on the
up for aircrew duties. He trained as last film, for a gala presentation chance of success but determined escape and its cost in life, he
an air observer. of The Great Escape. Below, Jack, to have a try, if only to briefly commented: “As far as the cost is
On the night of June 3, 1941, his with beard, in one of the PoW experience the feeling of freedom concerned you must look upon it in
huts
crew set out to bomb Dusseldorf. – would follow. Altogether 200 perspective.
It was Lyon’s third operation over men were to make the attempt. “Only a week later, we lost 90
Germany. Their Whitley bomber Lyon recognised that his chances aircraft and up to 500 men on a
of 58 Squadron was shot down by of success ‘were virtually nil but raid to Nuremberg. We lost in
anti-aircraft fire and the crew baled the more people on the loose at the total 55,000 members of Bomber
out. same time then the more confusion Command during the war.
Shortly after landing by and difficulties for the Germans’. “You could say the Great
parachute, Lyon was captured and When the tunnel broke into the Escape was a successful but costly
he was briefly entertained by the open on the night of March 24-25, operation, and I think I’ve never
Luftwaffe in the Duisburg Officers’ it was short of the covering forest altered that opinion, and I still hold
Mess. This hospitality was short- causing major delays. Lyon was to it”.
lived and he soon found himself at allocated place 89 and was waiting Lyon lectured widely and
Stalag Luft I at Barth on the Baltic in Hut 104 (where the escapees attended many functions, keen to
coast. collected) when a shot rang out tell the true story of the event and
Most of the prisoners from Barth, indicating that the tunnel had to perpetuate the memory of Roger
including Lyon, were transferred to been discovered after 76 men had Bushell and his colleagues from
Stalag Luft III during the summer escaped. Stalag Luft III.
of 1942. Built 100 miles south- the inveterate escapers soon began store earth excavated from the third The escape was over and papers, Very active until his final days, he
east of Berlin in a heavily forested tunnelling operations. called Harry. passes and money were hastily was due to participate in an event to
area, it was in an area of sandy soil Bushell was determined to Too short to carry waste sand destroyed and fed into the coke commemorate the 75th anniversary
making it difficult for prisoners to organise a mass escape so work in specially made bags suspended stove. All bar three men were of the Great Escape held in London
construct tunnels. began on constructing three down the inside of his trouser legs, recaptured and 50, including Roger ata the end of last month.
However, led by the charismatic tunnels. One was discovered, the Lyon was part of the elaborate Bushell, were murdered. Jack Lyon died on March 8 aged
Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, second was abandoned and used to security and surveillance scheme In late January 1945, the camp 101.

Pioneer Harrier pilot who advised on Falklands War

ING COMMANDER joined a team of 10 pilots, led by an WELL RESPECTED: Headquarters at Northwood. By Argentinian forces on June 14, he
Fred Trowern was RAF Wg Cdr to form the Tripartite Fred Trowern the evening he had been appointed flew by helicopter to Stanley to join
one of four RAF Evaluation Squadron with the as the Air Staff Officer to the Maj Gen Moore at Government
W pilots who evaluated remaining pilots drawn from the Commander of the British Land House. This heralded a busy time
the Kestrel vertical take off and United States and Germany. Each Forces, Maj Gen J. Moore RM, to as preparations were made for
landing aircraft (VSTOL) aircraft, pilot completed a conversion give positive advice on all matters the arrival of the first Hercules
which would be developed into programme to the revolutionary connected with the employment of on June 24 and a week later the 1
the Harrier. aircraft under the supervision of RAF assets in general and offensive Sqn Harriers disembarked from
He joined the RAF in 1951 and Hawker Aircraft’s project pilot, support operations in particular. Hermes. He finally returned home
trained as a pilot in Rhodesia before Duncan Simpson. After two weeks of feverish on July 19.
joining No. II Sqn in February Trowern made his first flight in activity, which included the Trowern was well-respected by
1953 in Germany where he flew the Kestrel in January 1965. After production of standard operating the other services who recognised
the Meteor fighter reconnaissance initial conversion, the squadron the coast of Oman to cover the procedures for the Land Forces and his expertise and appreciated his
aircraft for two years. After four moved at the end of March to British withdrawal from Aden learning a new military language no-nonsense approach and modest
years as a flying instructor he left become part of the Central Fighter in November 1967 before re- used by what he called the Green manner. As the RAF commander
for Aden where he again flew Establishment based at West deploying to Bahrain. After a series Machine – the Royal Marines – he appointed to take over Stanley
the Meteor on reconnaissance Raynham, Norfolk, where it began a of staff appointments dealing with left for Ascension Island on May 20 airfield left the UK, Sir John asked
missions, an appointment that series of trials to evaluate operating trials and tactics he moved to before transferring to the QE2. him who he would like as his
resulted in him being awarded techniques and tactics from the Lossiemouth in Scotland where On May 29, together with Maj new Air Staff Officer. He replied
a Queen’s Commendation for main airfield and from prepared he flew the Jaguar ground attack Gen Moore and the Commander ‘another Fred Trowern’.
Valuable Service in the Air. sites in remote locations. The trials aircraft, first in command of the Royal Artillery, he transferred For his services during the
In June 1961 he returned to were an unqualified success and simulator and then the operational to HMS Hermes for discussions Falklands War, Trowern was
the UK and spent the next three led to the introduction into service conversion unit, responsible for before being flown to HMS Fearless appointed OBE. After his return
years as a tactics instructor at RAF of the Harrier. For his part in the training all RAF, and some foreign, in San Carlos Water. The following home, he served on the planning
Chivenor flying the Hawker Hunter programme, Trowern was awarded Jaguar pilots. day, with Moore, he went ashore for staffs for home defence before
and where he flew in the unit’s the AFC. When Argentinian forces the first time and on May 31 visited retiring in September. He became
formation aerobatic team, the Black His considerable experience of invaded the Falkland Islands in the Goose Green, two days after the a reserve officer and in 1987 joined
Dragons. fighter ground attack operations led spring of 1982, Trowern was serving end of the battle that cost the lives the Chipmunk Flight at the Army
In the summer of 1964 Trowern to his appointment in command of on the staff of the National Defence of 18 British soldiers. Air Corps Centre at Middle Wallop
was one of four RAF pilots assigned 8 Sqn based initially at Khormaksar College. He was summoned on May He remained on Fearless as a flying instructor until 1997.
to a new unit formed to evaluate in Aden. The squadron’s Hunters 4, 1982 to see the Air Commander, in ‘bomb alley’ for two weeks. Fred Trowern died on March 2
the Kestrel VSTOL aircraft. He moved to Masirah Island off ACM Sir John Curtiss, at the Joint The day after the surrender of aged 86.