James Harry Lacey

{{Infobox military person

| name = James Harry Lacey

| image = Ginger Lacey.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = "Ginger" Lacey c. 1940.

| nickname = "Ginger"

| birth_date = {{birth date|1917|02|01|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Wetherby, West Riding of Yorkshire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1989|05|30|1917|02|01|df=yes}}

| death_place = Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

| placeofburial =

| allegiance = United Kingdom

| branch = Royal Air Force

| serviceyears = 1937–1967

| rank = Squadron Leader

| unit = No. 501 Squadron RAF (1939–41)
No. 57 Operational Training Unit (1941)
No. 602 Squadron RAF (1942)
No. 81 Group (1942)
No. 1 Special Attack Instructors School (1942)
No. 20 Squadron RAF (1943)
1572 Gunnery Flight (1943)

| commands = No. 17 Squadron RAF (1944–46)
No. 155 Squadron RAF (1944)

| battles = Second World War

| awards = Distinguished Flying Medal & Bar
Mentioned in Despatches
Croix de guerre (France)

| laterwork = Owner of a cargo air carrier, flight instructor

}}

James Harry Lacey, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DFM1}} (1 February 1917 – 30 May 1989), known as Ginger Lacey, was one of the top scoring Royal Air Force fighter pilots of the Second World War and was the second-highest scoring RAF fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain, behind Pilot Officer Eric Lock of No. 41 Squadron RAF. Lacey was credited with 28 enemy aircraft destroyed, five probables and nine damaged.{{sfn|Holmes|1998|p=26}}

Early life

Lacey was born on 1 February 1917 in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

He left King James Grammar School, Knaresborough"Fighter Aces of the RAF" by ECR Baker, published William Kimber 1962, 450017109 in 1933, and continued his education at Leeds Technical College. He spent four years as an apprentice pharmacist in Leeds.

RAF career

Lacey joined the RAFVR (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) in January 1937 as a trainee pilot at Perth, Scotland. In 1938, he then took an instructor's course, becoming an instructor at the Yorkshire Flying School, accumulating 1,000 hours of flight time before the war.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/a-fine-blue-day--james-ginger-lacey/zvf4scw|title=A Fine Blue Day - James 'Ginger' Lacey|website=BBC Archive}} Called up at the outbreak of war, he joined No. 501 Squadron RAF.

=Second World War=

==Battle of France==

On 10 May 1940, the Squadron moved to Bétheniville in France where Lacey experienced his first combat. On the afternoon of 13 May over Sedan, he destroyed a Heinkel He 111 of KG 53Cull, Lander, Weiss: "Twelve Days in May" Grub street, (page 108) and an escorting Messerschmitt Bf 109 on one sortie, followed by a Messerschmitt Bf 110 later in the afternoon.{{sfn|Holmes|1998|p=37}} He claimed two more He 111s on 27 May, before the squadron was withdrawn to England on 19 June, having claimed nearly 60 victories. On 9 June, his aircraft was damaged in combat and he crash landed and almost drowned in a swamp. During his operational duties in France, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.

==Battle of Britain==

Flying throughout the Battle of Britain with No. 501 based at RAF Gravesend or RAF Croydon, Lacey became one of the highest-scoring pilots of the battle. His first kill of the battle was on 20 July 1940, when he shot down a Bf 109E of Jagdgeschwader 27. He then claimed a destroyed Ju 87 and a "probable" Ju 87 on 12 August, a damaged Bf 110 and a damaged Do 17 on 15 August, and a probable Bf 109 on 16 August. He destroyed a Ju 88 and damaged a Dornier Do 17 on 24 August and shot down a Bf 109 of Jagdgeschwader 3 on 29 August. He had bailed out unharmed after being hit by return fire from a Heinkel He 111 on 13 August.

On 23 August 1940, Lacey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal after the destruction of 6 enemy aircraft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34929/page/5154|title=Page 5154 | Issue 34929, 23 August 1940 | London Gazette | The Gazette|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}

On 30 August 1940, during combat over the Thames Estuary, Lacey shot down a He 111 and damaged a Bf 110 before his Hurricane was badly hit by enemy fire. His engine stopped and he decided to glide back to the airfield at Gravesend in his stricken aircraft, rather than bail out into the Estuary.

A highly successful August was completed when he destroyed a Bf 109 on 31 August.

On 2 September 1940, Lacey shot down two Bf 109s and damaged a Do 17. He then shot down another two Bf 109s on 5 September. During a heavy raid on 13 September, he engaged a formation of Kampfgeschwader 55 He 111s over London where he shot down one of the bombers that had just bombed Buckingham Palace. As he could not find his airfield in the worsening visibility, he then bailed out of his aircraft, sustaining slight injuries.

Returning to the action shortly thereafter, he shot down a He 111 and three Bf 109s, and damaged another on 15 September 1940, one of the heaviest days of fighting during the whole battle, which later became known as "Battle of Britain Day". During the battle he attacked a formation of 12 Bf 109s, shooting down two before the others had noticed, before escaping into cloud.Price 1990, pp. 62–63. The Battle of Britain Day.

Two days later on 17 September, he was shot down over Ashford, Kent during a dogfight with Bf 109s and bailed out without injury. On 27 September, he destroyed a Bf 109 and damaged a Junkers Ju 88 on 30 September. During October he claimed a probable Bf 109 on 7 October, shot down a Bf 109 on 12 October, another on 26 October and on 30 October he destroyed a Bf 109 before damaging another.

During the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, Lacey had been shot down or forced to land due to combat no less than nine times{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}.

On 26 November 1940, with 23 claims (18 made during the Battle of Britain) Lacey received a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Medal for his continued outstanding courage and bravery during the Battle of Britain. The citation in the London Gazette read:{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35001/page/6754|title=Page 6754 | Issue 35001, 26 November 1940 | London Gazette | The Gazette|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}

{{Quote|740042 Sergeant James Harry LACEY, D.F.M., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 501 Squadron.

Sergeant Lacey has shown consistent efficiency and great courage. He has led his section on many occasions and his splendid qualities as a fighter pilot have enabled him to destroy at least 19 enemy aircraft.}}

==After 1940==

File:Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Fighter Command CH2814.jpg on 30 May 1941]]

Lacey's final award for outstanding service during 1940 was a Mention in Despatches announced on 1 January 1941.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35029/supplement/39|title=Page 39 | Supplement 35029, 31 December 1940 | London Gazette | The Gazette|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}} Lacey was commissioned a pilot officer (on probation) on 25 January 1941 (seniority from 15 January){{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35083/supplements/1081|title=London Gazette, 21 February 1941}} and promoted to acting flight lieutenant in June. On 10 July 1941, as "A" flight commander, he shot down a Bf 109 and damaged another a few days later on 14 July. On 17 July, he claimed a Heinkel He 59 seaplane shot down and on 24 July, two Bf 109s (by causing them to collide). He was posted away from combat operations during August 1941, serving as a flight instructor with No. 57 Operational Training Unit. He was promoted to war substantive flying officer on 22 September.{{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35358/pages/6781|title=London Gazette, 25 November 1941}}

During March 1942, Lacey joined No. 602 Squadron, based at Kenley flying the Spitfire Mk V and by 24 March had claimed a Fw 190 as damaged. He damaged another Fw 190 on 25 April 1942 before a posting to No. 81 Group as a tactics officer. Promoted to war substantive flight lieutenant on 27 August,{{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35736/supplements/4386|title=London Gazette, 9 October 1942}} in November he was posted as Chief Instructor at the No. 1 Special Attack Instructors School, Milfield.

In March 1943, Lacey was posted to No. 20 Squadron, Kaylan in India before joining 1572 Gunnery Flight in July of the same year to convert from Blenheims to Hurricanes and then to Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. He stayed in India, being posted to command No. 155 Squadron flying the Spitfire VIII in November 1944 and then as commanding officer of No. 17 Squadron later that month. While based in India, Lacey claimed his last aircraft on 19 February 1945, shooting down a Japanese Army Air Force Nakajima Ki 43 "Oscar" with only nine 20mm cannon rounds.

Lacey was one of the few RAF pilots on operational duties on both the opening and closing day of the war. His final tally was 28 confirmed, four probables and nine damaged.

=Postwar=

After the war was over, Lacey went to Japan with No. 17 Squadron, becoming the first Spitfire pilot to fly over Japan on 30 April 1946. He returned to the UK in May 1946. He received a permanent commission in the rank of flight lieutenant on 8 December 1948 (seniority from 1 September 1945).{{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/38605/supplements/2288|title=London Gazette, 10 May 1949}} Lacey subsequently flew Vampires from RAF Odiham, and was a fighter controller at RAF Kuching and RAF Labuan in Borneo.{{cite book |last1=Bond |first1=Steve |title=Javelin Boys: Air Defence from the Cold War to Confrontation |date=2017 |publisher=Grub Street Publishing |isbn=978-1910690406}}

He retired from the RAF on 5 March 1967 as a flight lieutenant; he retained the rank of squadron leader.{{Cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/44263/supplements/2615|title=London Gazette, 7 March 1967}}

Later life and legacy

{{multiple image|caption_align=center|width=200|image1=Plaque unveiling for James Harry Lacey, Aldi, Wetherby (23rd July 2017) 005.jpg|caption1=Plaque unveiling on the site of Lacey's childhood home in Wetherby in 2017|image2=Blue plaque to James Harry Lacey on the day of its unveiling (23rd July 2017) 002.jpg|caption2=Blue plaque}}

File:Inside Bridlington Priory (2) - geograph.org.uk - 5593370.jpg]]

After retirement, Lacey ran an air freight business and instructed at a flight school near Bridlington. He was an adviser to director Guy Hamilton on the set of his 1969 film Battle of Britain. Said Hamilton in an interview 30 years later "I entrusted Ginger Lacey to be my main adviser. He really was a good chap, totally invaluable."Harmsworth, Tony The Battle of Britain, Aeroplane, October 1999

Lacey died on 30 May 1989 at the age of 72. In September 2001, a plaque was unveiled at Priory Church, Bridlington, Yorkshire in memory of the fighter pilot and ace. There is also a plaque at the location of the house Lacey grew up in, on the old site of Nidd Vale Motors, Sandbeck Lane, Wetherby.

As a celebrated former pupil of King James’ School, an image of Lacey is displayed on one of the Knaresborough Town Windows, a series of trompe-l%27œil images managed by [https://renaissanceknaresborough.co.uk/ Renaissance Knaresborough].

In 2016, Beverley/Linley Hill Airfield named their new flight training centre after Lacey,{{Cite web|url=http://www.hullaeroclub.co.uk/images/Newsletter_12-02-2016_v3.pdf |title=Beverley FLYER |date=14 February 2016 |publisher=Hull Aero Club |access-date=15 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915083705/http://www.hullaeroclub.co.uk/images/Newsletter_12-02-2016_v3.pdf |archive-date=15 September 2016 }} and on 23 July 2017, a blue plaque was unveiled on the site of the house where he was born.{{cite web|last1=Airey|first1=Tom|title=James 'Ginger' Lacey: Battle of Britain pilot remembered|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-40660077|website=BBC News|access-date=23 July 2017|date=23 July 2017}}

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

Bickers, Richard Townshend. Ginger Lacey: Fighter Pilot. London: Hale Ltd., 1962. {{ISBN|0-330-02411-6}}.
Bishop, Edward, ed. The Daily Telegraph Book of Airmen's Obituaries. London: Grub Street, 2002. {{ISBN|1-902304-99-3}}.
{{Cite book

|last=Holmes

|first=Tony

|year=1998

|title=Hurricane Aces 1939 – 1940

|location=London, UK

|publisher=Osprey Publishing

|isbn=978-1-85532-597-5

}}