Eric Stanley Lock DSO, DFC & Bar

Eric Lock was born on the 19^th April 1919 in Bayston Hill, England. Lock had his first flying experience when he was 14 years of age as a birthday gift from his father.

During 1939 with the prospect of war breaking out and the possibility he would have been called up to serve, Lock made the decision that he would rather serve as an airman. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at the age of 20. It was only after three months that he was called up and began his flight training.

As of September 1939 at the outbreak of World War Two, Lock joined the RAF as a Sergeant Pilot where he undertook further training at RAF Little Rissington’s Flying School. In May 1940 he became a commissioned Pilot Officer and was assigned to Number 41 Squadron at RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire.

Eric Lock married his girlfriend Peggy Meyers in July 1940 before returning to his unit and soon began combat patrols over the North of England.

This was largely defending British Airspace against Luftflotte 5 who were operating out of occupied Norway. Number 41 Squadron mostly remained out of the main conflict of the early stages of the Battle of Britain.

By the 15^th August 1940 the Luftwaffe attempted to stretch fighter command by sending fighter aircraft to attack the North of England which they believed to be mostly undefended. It was in this battle that Lock won his first victory shooting down a Bf 110 heavy fighter.

In September 1940 Number 41 Squadron was redeployed to RAF Hornchurch in Essex due to a need for more fighter aircraft in the South of England. On the 5^th September he successfully shot down two Heinkel He 111s, but upon following the second Heinkel down, he came under fire from a Messerschmitt Bf 109, damaging his Spitfire and wounding his leg.

The following day he ignored medical advice and the pain in his leg, as he took to the skies again and shot down a Ju 88 along with 2 Bf 109s and a Bf 110 on the 9^th September. These brought his total number of victories to 9 enemy aircraft destroyed, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Lock continued his performance against Axis aircraft, winning an additional 15 victories throughout the Battle of Britain earning him the Medal Bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross. Number 41 Squadron were given 4 weeks’ rotation rest after this intense period.

They returned to RAF Hornchurch at the start of October 1940. Lock’s victories continued soon after, winning on the 5^th October and the 9^th October. He shot down an additional 2 Bf 109’s on the 11^th October and 20^th October bringing his kill score up to 21, making him the most successful allied ace of the Battle of Britain.

Unfortunately, within six months of becoming one of the most famous plots of the RAF, his Spitfire crash landed in the English Channel after being damaged by ground fire. He was posted Missing in Action on the 3^rd August 1941 and was never seen again.