Flying Officer Lawrence McNamara, captain of W4126 - Geoffrey Beckett's Lancaster

Flying Officer Lawrence McNamara, captain of W4126 - Geoffrey Beckett's Lancaster

Includes personal details of Lawrence Gerard Lyons McNamara (80193 RAFVR), photograph of headstone of his grave, photograph of him and first grave, photographs of aircraft and letter from George Read (flight engineer and only survivor) to Mrs McNamara. In addition, photographs of pilots station in cockpit with description.

Five page printed document with text, colour and b/w photographs

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The Captain of 44 Squadron Lancaster W 4126 was Flying Officer Lawrence Gerrard Lyons McNamara. No 80193 of the R.A.F. (VR)
Aged 27, he was the son of Lt-Col John Daniel McNamara and Winifred Sarah McNamara and was married, with two children, to Frederica Eileen McNamara of Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia.
He lies in Grave number 4 of Row 1.

[colour photograph of the headstone of Flying Officer McNamara]

“Beloved Husband of Eileen’
Darling Daddy
Of Jill and Rosemary”
R.I.P.

Authors Photograph

[page break]

[two black and white photographs. On the left, a head and shoulders photograph of F/O McNamara in uniform. On the right, a cross marking the grave of F/O McNamara]

[page break]

[three black and white photographs. A head and shoulders photograph of F/O McNamara, the cross marking his grave and one of a Lancaster flying]

27/1/1946

Dear Mrs McNamara

Please forgive me for not writing to you before this, but I knew how badly the loss of “Mac” had been to you, and I felt that if I wrote to you I should only fetch it all back again for you. But I can see now that it was wrong of me to take that attitude, as you would most certainly wish to know what happened on that particular night. But first Mrs McNamara will you accept my most deepest sympathy for your great loss. “Mac” was one of the finest fellows I have ever had the pleasure to meet, & I shall never forget him. This is what happened on Dec 17th 1942.

We left base on Dec 17th for a raid on Nienburg, Germany. We crossed the North Sea flying fairly low without meeting any trouble, but directly we crossed the Dutch Coast we met plenty of light flak and machine guns, we kept going but shortly after were hit in one of our engines, as another of our engines wasn’t too good, “Mac” decided to turn back.

We turned for home & reached the coast without further incident, but as we were crossing the Zuider Zee we received a direct hit which set us afire and out of control, some of the crew were killed instantly. Mac gave orders to abandon aircraft & we both made our way to the escape hatch. As I went out of the hatch “Mac” was just behind me, I never saw him leave the aircraft & if he did I don’t think his parachute would have opened in time as it was too near the ground. My parachute only just opened in time & even then I was badly knocked about.

I never saw any of the Crew again, but was later told by the Germans that five bodies and been recovered. I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you about that tragic night in which you lost so fine a Husband & I lost six of the finest friends a man could ever hope to have.

If there is anything else you wish to know, or any way I can be of help to you, just let me know & I will be only too pleased to be of any assistance to you. I will close now hoping you & the children are keeping in the best of health.

Yours very sincerely
GEORGE READ

[page break]

[colour photograph of the interior of the Lancaster showing the pilot’s control column and instruments]

Pilots Control Column Yoke and instruments.
(Authors Photograph. NX 611)

[page break]

[colour photograph of the interior of a Lancaster showing the instrument panel]

The “Driver/Airframe’s Office” in a Lancaster Bomber.

The pilots control column is on the left, with the four engine throttle levers to the right, with the rev’ levers below. The I.A.S in knots, the artificial horizon and altimeter are in front of the control column with the engine start-up buttons to the right, outlined in red.
Other dials are for engine boosts, engine revolutions, flap settings, etc.
The compass and trim setting wheel are both located by the pilots seat: the additional compass repeater and direction finder were located on the cockpit coaming, on later Lancasters, as shown here on NX 611.
Most of the gauges for the four engines, such as temperature, etc, were on the flight engineers panel, along with fuel gauges, etc.