Percy Lucas
Encyclopedia
Percy Belgrave "Laddie" Lucas, CBE
, DSO and Bar
, DFC
, (2 September 1915 - 28 March 1998), was a Royal Air Force
Officer
, left-handed golfer, author and Member of Parliament
(MP).
He was born on 2 September 1915 in the old clubhouse at Princeès Sandwich Bay
, Kent
. His father died when he was aged 11.
Lucas was educated at Stowe School
, and Pembroke College, Cambridge
where he read Economics. While at Cambridge, he captained the golf team, was the top amateur golfer in the 1935 Open Championship
and at 19 found himself hailed as the finest left-handed player in the world.
Lucas was married in 1946 to Jill Addison, the sister of Thelma Bader, wife of his fellow flying ace
Douglas Bader
, of whom he wrote a best-selling biography. The couple had five grandchildren.
to undertake flying training at the Flying Training School as part of the Empire Training. On completion of his training, he was assigned to 66 Squadron
in August 1941, with whom he flew combat missions with until the end of 1942.
In July 1942, Lucas was awarded the DFC
for his actions. The citation read:
In the autumn of 1942 Lucas was assigned as Aide-de-camp
to the Prince George, Duke of Kent
, but he felt that his friend Michael Strutt, who already knew the Duke, would be more suited to the post. Strutt took it up the post and just two weeks later, on 25 August 1942, both were killed in an air crash when the Short Sunderland flying boat
in which he was a passenger crashed into a hillside near Dunbeath
, Caithness
, in bad weather. This event haunted Lucas for many years.
During the Battle of Malta
he commanded 249 Squadron
. In 1943, he moved to command 616 Squadron
; later, he commanded the Spitfire wing at RAF Coltishall
.
After an imposed rest period on ground duties, "flying a desk" as it was jocularly termed, in December 1944 Lucas asked to be given charge of an operational squadron again. After re-training on the two-crew Mosquito
, Lucas took over command of 613 Squadron (City of Manchester)
equipped with Mosquitos and based at Cambrai-Epinoy in the Ardennes
. He immediately resumed his practice of "leading from the front", which gained the respect of the highly experienced 613 Squadron air crews. The squadron was involved in low-level tactical support missions and strikes.
Between 1944 and 1945 he served with RAF Second Tactical Air Force
in North-West Europe.
Lucas was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in January 1944. The citation read:
He was awarded a bar to his DSO in October 1945 for making numerous attacks on enemy communications, often in appalling weather conditions.
He resigned his commission in 1945.
as a Conservative
and stood for Fulham West
, where he lost to the sitting MP Edith Summerskill
, one of Labour
's most prominent women in government following their landslide. At the 1950 general election
, he was elected as Conservative MP for Brentford and Chiswick
. He held the seat at the next two elections, but retired at the 1959 general election
.
He wrote a popular column for the Sunday Express, and was the author of several books on golf and airmen around the world, as well as an idiosyncratic but much-admired history of the Siege of Malta
.
Lucas captained the 1947 and 1949 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup
team. After the war he was an administrator on the Sports Council. Although an amateur, he was influential in the founding of the professional tour in Europe in the early 1970s. At the time of his death he was serving as a vice president of both the Golf Foundation and the Association of Golf Writers.
He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
in 1981.
In April 1984, Eamonn Andrews
surprised Lucas with his "The Is Your Life"
, where fellow Battle of Britain
pilot Paddy Barthropp reminsced
Lucas died at home in Chelsea
on 21 March 1998.
by the 4th tee on the Himalayas course which marks the spot where Lucas used his local knowledge of the course to make an emergency landing after his Spitfire
was crippled over northern France
during the War. A golf tournament for boys and girls aged 8–13 years, the "Laddie Lucas Spoon", is held annually at Prince's.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO and Bar
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, (2 September 1915 - 28 March 1998), was a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, left-handed golfer, author and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP).
Early and family life
Lucas was the son Percy Montagu Lucas co-founder of Prince's Golf Club, SandwichPrince's Golf Club, Sandwich
Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich is a links golf course located in Sandwich in Kent in South East England. Prince's is immediately adjacent to the more famous Royal St George's golf club, and both clubs lie on the same stretch of coastline as nearby Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club.Prince's was completed...
He was born on 2 September 1915 in the old clubhouse at Princeès Sandwich Bay
Sandwich Bay
Sandwich Bay is a long sweeping inlet of the sea between Ramsgate and Deal, on the east coast of Kent, England. The coastal area consists of sand flats with their associated salt marshes and coastal sand dunes. The Sandwich Flats stretch for about five miles along the coast...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. His father died when he was aged 11.
Lucas was educated at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
, and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
where he read Economics. While at Cambridge, he captained the golf team, was the top amateur golfer in the 1935 Open Championship
1935 Open Championship
The 1935 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Muirfield. The competition was won by Alf Perry.-External links:*...
and at 19 found himself hailed as the finest left-handed player in the world.
Lucas was married in 1946 to Jill Addison, the sister of Thelma Bader, wife of his fellow flying ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
, of whom he wrote a best-selling biography. The couple had five grandchildren.
Early career
After graduating from Cambridge, Lucas was interviewed by Lord Beaverbrook for a post on the Sunday Express. He impressed Beaverbrook suffiently that the newspaper boss took him to supper that night and later hired him as a sports writer. He remained with the Sunday Express until the outbreak of war when he volunteered for the RAF.Royal Air Force
Lucas joined the RAF in June 1940 and went to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to undertake flying training at the Flying Training School as part of the Empire Training. On completion of his training, he was assigned to 66 Squadron
No. 66 Squadron RAF
No. 66 Squadron was a Royal Flying Corps and eventually Royal Air Force aircraft squadron.-In World War I:It was first formed at Filton on 30 June 1916 as a Training Squadron equipped with BE2c,d & e, BE12 and Avroe 504A machines. The squadron received its first Sopwith Pup on 3 February 1917,...
in August 1941, with whom he flew combat missions with until the end of 1942.
In July 1942, Lucas was awarded the DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
for his actions. The citation read:
Acting Squadron Leader Percy Belgrave LUCAS (100626), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 249 Squadron
In July, 1942, Squadron Leader Lucas displayed great courage in an engagement against 3 bombers escorted by 14 fighters. He unhesitatingly led his squadron through the enemy's fighter escort and, diving down, they destroyed all 3 bombers, 2 of them falling in flames. Squadron Leader Lucas has destroyed 3 hostile aircraft and damaged 7 others.
In the autumn of 1942 Lucas was assigned as Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
, but he felt that his friend Michael Strutt, who already knew the Duke, would be more suited to the post. Strutt took it up the post and just two weeks later, on 25 August 1942, both were killed in an air crash when the Short Sunderland flying boat
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
in which he was a passenger crashed into a hillside near Dunbeath
Dunbeath
Dunbeath is a village in south-east Caithness, Scotland on the A9 road.It was the birthplace of Neil Gunn , author of The Silver Darlings, Highland River etc., many of whose novels are set in Dunbeath and its Strath...
, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, in bad weather. This event haunted Lucas for many years.
During the Battle of Malta
Battle of Malta
The Battle of Malta took place on 8 July 1283 in the entrance to the Grand Harbour, the principal harbor of Malta, when a galley fleet commanded by Roger of Lauria defeated a fleet of Angevin galleys commanded by William Cornut and Bartholomew Bonvin...
he commanded 249 Squadron
No. 249 Squadron RAF
No. 249 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence.-First formation:...
. In 1943, he moved to command 616 Squadron
No. 616 Squadron RAF
No. 616 Squadron was a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force and later the Royal Auxiliary Air Force between 1938 and 1957.-Formation:...
; later, he commanded the Spitfire wing at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
.
After an imposed rest period on ground duties, "flying a desk" as it was jocularly termed, in December 1944 Lucas asked to be given charge of an operational squadron again. After re-training on the two-crew Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
, Lucas took over command of 613 Squadron (City of Manchester)
No. 613 Squadron RAF
No. 613 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 February 1939 at the then new municipal airport at Ringway, nine miles south of Manchester. The squadron served at first in the army cooperation role, and later during World War II became a tactical...
equipped with Mosquitos and based at Cambrai-Epinoy in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. He immediately resumed his practice of "leading from the front", which gained the respect of the highly experienced 613 Squadron air crews. The squadron was involved in low-level tactical support missions and strikes.
Between 1944 and 1945 he served with RAF Second Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
in North-West Europe.
Lucas was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in January 1944. The citation read:
Acting Wing Commander Percy Belgrave LUCAS, DFC (100626), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Within the past few months this officer has led his fighter squadron a large number of varied sorties including escorts to bomber formations which have attacked enemy shipping with much success. In all these operations, 13 enemy air-craft have been destroyed and several others damaged. Much of the success can be attributed to this officer's great skill and gallant leadership. He has rendered most valuable service.
He was awarded a bar to his DSO in October 1945 for making numerous attacks on enemy communications, often in appalling weather conditions.
He resigned his commission in 1945.
Postwar career
After the war he was encouraged to fight the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and stood for Fulham West
Fulham West (UK Parliament constituency)
Fulham West was a borough constituency based around the London district of Fulham. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1955....
, where he lost to the sitting MP Edith Summerskill
Edith Summerskill
Edith Clara Summerskill, Baroness Summerskill CH PC was a British physician, feminist, misandrist, Labour politician and writer. She was appointed to the Privy Council in 1949.-Early life:...
, one of Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's most prominent women in government following their landslide. At the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, he was elected as Conservative MP for Brentford and Chiswick
Brentford and Chiswick (UK Parliament constituency)
Brentford and Chiswick was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Brentford and Chiswick districts of west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. He held the seat at the next two elections, but retired at the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.
He wrote a popular column for the Sunday Express, and was the author of several books on golf and airmen around the world, as well as an idiosyncratic but much-admired history of the Siege of Malta
Siege of Malta
Siege of Malta may refer to:* The Siege of Malta , in which the Ottoman Empire failed to dislodge the Knights Hospitaller** Siege of Malta, 1570 work of the Cretan writer Antonios Achelis, about the above...
.
Lucas captained the 1947 and 1949 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
team. After the war he was an administrator on the Sports Council. Although an amateur, he was influential in the founding of the professional tour in Europe in the early 1970s. At the time of his death he was serving as a vice president of both the Golf Foundation and the Association of Golf Writers.
He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1981.
In April 1984, Eamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews, CBE , was an Irish television presenter based in the United Kingdom.-Life and career:...
surprised Lucas with his "The Is Your Life"
This Is Your Life (UK TV series)
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary, based on the 1952 American show of the same name. It was hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987 aged 64...
, where fellow Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
pilot Paddy Barthropp reminsced
Lucas died at home in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
on 21 March 1998.
Memorials
There is a commemorative plaque at Prince's Golf Club, SandwichPrince's Golf Club, Sandwich
Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich is a links golf course located in Sandwich in Kent in South East England. Prince's is immediately adjacent to the more famous Royal St George's golf club, and both clubs lie on the same stretch of coastline as nearby Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club.Prince's was completed...
by the 4th tee on the Himalayas course which marks the spot where Lucas used his local knowledge of the course to make an emergency landing after his Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
was crippled over northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the War. A golf tournament for boys and girls aged 8–13 years, the "Laddie Lucas Spoon", is held annually at Prince's.
Publications
- Five Up: A Chronicle of Five Lives (1978)
- The Sport of Princes: Reflections of a Golfer (1980)
- Flying Colours: The Epic Story of Douglas BaderDouglas BaderGroup Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
(1981) - Wings of War: Airmen of All Nations Tell Their Stories (1983)
- Out of the Blue: Role of Luck in Air Warfare, 1917-66 (1985)
- Malta: The Thorn in Rommel's Side - Six Months That Turned the War (1992)
- Voices In The Air 1939 - 1945
- Thanks for the Memory: Unforgettable Characters in Air Warfare, 1939-45
- Great Battles: Courage in the Skies
- Venturer Courageous: Group Captain Leonard Trent, VC, DECLeonard Henry TrentGroup Captain Leonard Henry Trent VC DFC was a New Zealander recipient of the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
(with James Sanders) - Courage in the Skies: Great Air Battles from the Somme to Desert Storm (with Johnnie Johnson)
- Glorious Summer: Story of the Battle of Britain (with Johnnie Johnson)
- Winged Victory: A Last Look Back - The Personal Reflections of Two Royal Air Force Leaders (with Johnnie Johnson)
- The Maltese Spitfire: 1942 - One Pilot and One Plane Searching for the Enemy on Land and Sea (with Harry Coldbeck)