The Airmen's Stories - P/O F C A Lanning

Francis Charles Anthony Lanning was born on 28th February 1907 in Sydenham, London. His father was from Luxembourg and his mother from Switzerland. The family name was Lorang.

After attending St. Paul's School in London, FCA Lorang studied languages in Switzerland, where he met his wife Elizabeth Annie Misslin. They married in 1929 in Hendon.

At some time afterwards he changed his surname to Lanning. This may have been due to the extensive publicity given to the trial of Francis Lorang (1878-1970) of Luxembourg. He perpetrated what was at the time a massive fraud in England regarding shares in the Blue Bird Petroleum Company.

He was extradited from a nightclub in Paris and after a lengthy trial sentenced to seven years penal servitude.

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Lanning was commissioned in the RAF in May 1940 as a direct-entry Air Gunner. Lanning joined 141 Squadron at Turnhouse in June but on 8th July he was badly injured in a runway landing collision in Defiant L6990. The Defiant collided with L6998 crewed by P/O RE Orchard and P/O WFP Webber.

He and P/O AN Constantine were admitted to Gogarburn Emergency Hospital, Edinburgh. Lanning was released on 14th August, rejoining 141 Squadron at the end of the month.

During the night of 6th/7th May 1941 Lanning was flying with F/O RLF Day when they shot down a He111. On a later patrol the same night they shot down a Ju88, which made a forced-landing on Holy Island, Northumberland. The aircraft was burned by the crew, who were all taken prisoner.

Lanning and Day were each awarded the DFC (gazetted 6th June 1941).

Lanning was posted to 410 (RCAF) Squadron at its formation at Ayr on 30th June 1941. He moved to 289 Squadron at Turnhouse when it was formed there on 20th November 1941 for anti-aircraft co-operation duties.

In January 1944 Lanning was appointed Air-to-Ground Range Officer at RAF Predannack. In August 1945 he became OC HQ 701 Air Disarmament Wing at Graz, Austria and his final posting was as Camp Commandant at RAF Klagenfurt, Austria on 18th June 1946.

He was released from the RAF in November 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.

Lanning joined the Control Commission, set up to run Germany. He was then with the diplomatic service before returning to London to work in publishing.

Lanning died in February 2002 in Darlington.