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

Donald Millar Lake, of Harrow, Middlesex was born in late 1920 in West Bromwich, the son of Ernest Millar Lake and Kathleen Doris Lake.

He joined the RAF on a short-service commission in April 1939.

Lake began his initial training course at 9 E&RFTS Ansty on 1st May 1939. He went on to 10 FTS Ternhill for No. 12 Course, which ran from 10th July to 9th December 1939.

He joined 219 Squadron at Catterick on 16th December.

He served with 219 Squadron throughout the Battle and damaged a Ju88 south of Flamborough Head in the afternoon of 15th August 1940.

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.