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The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. J E Loverseed

John Eric Loverseed was born on 4th December 1910, the son of John Frederick Loverseed, the Liberal MP for Sudbury, Suffolk from 1923 to 1924. Loverseed was educated at Sudbury Grammar School and joined the RAF on a short service commission as a pilot in 1929.

He served in Egypt, Palestine and Transjordan until 1934 when he left the RAF with the rank of Flying Officer.

When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936 Loverseed enlisted on the Republican side as a pilot in December of that year and served till February 1937, having been wounded by  abullet through his arm during the previous month.

He married Gladys Male in April 1938. He rejoined the RAF in November 1939, this time as a NCO, and did a refresher flying course. Posted at first to 1 AACU on 20th May 1940 he was posted after just one day to 501 Squadron flying Hurricanes in France.

On 31st May he was injured after his Hurricane L2056 SD*G crashed on landing after a planned patrol was aborted due to bad weather. He was evacuated to a hospital in England and by the time he returned to 501 on 19th July they were back in England too.

He flew six operational sorties during the Battle before being sent to 1 AACU once more on 19th August. By October 1941 he was a Warrant Officer and was awarded the AFC (gazetted 1st January 1943).

In April 1943 he was discharged from the RAF as he had been elected as MP for Eddisbury (Cheshire), representing the Commonwealth party (photograph below).

 

 

In November 1944 he transferred to Labour but lost the election of May 1945. In May 1955 he stood unsuccessfully for South Lewisham, London, as an Independent Pacifist.

In 1962 he was admitted to the London Chest Hospital in Letchworth for a heart operation. It did not go well and he died on 24th November 1962.

 


 

 

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