The Airmen's Stories - P/O D M Lake

Donald Millar Lake, of Harrow, Middlesex joined the RAF on a short-service commission in April 1939. By early July 1940 he was serving with 219 Squadron at Catterick.

He served with 219 throughout the Battle but by May 1941 he was serving with the Fighter Interception Unit at Ford.

On the night of 3rd/4th September 1941 he was aloft in Beaufighter IIf R2335. On returning to Ford it was discovered that the undercarriage would not lock in the lowered position. The decision was taken to shake the undercarriage down by performing aerobatics. However control was lost and the aircraft crashed into the bed of the disused Portsmouth to Arundel Canal near Woodgate in Sussex.

Unusually the aircraft carried three crew, possibly because an AI set was under test. All three were killed. F/Sgt. JE Bignell was also a Battle veteran and the other crew member was F/Sgt. FE Greaney.

Lake is buried in Tangmere (St Andrew) Churchyard.