Alfred Lammer

Alfred Lammer was born Alfred Ritter von Lammer on 28 November 1909 in Linz, Austria. He had settled in London in 1934, working for the Austrian state travel bureau, and chose to remain in Britain after the 1938 annexation of his homeland. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 (service number 81940, RAFVR) and first flew with Fighter Command between July and October 1940, qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp. Beginning as an air gunner, he retrained as a navigator and spent most of the war as a radar operator in twin-engined night fighters, serving with units including Nos. 141, 409 (RCAF) and 255 Squadrons, flying Defiants and Beaufighters. Operating from North Africa in 1942, he shared in the destruction of several enemy aircraft. He received the DFC in February 1943 and a Bar that October, and was twice mentioned in despatches, rising to squadron leader and commanding a navigation school. He survived the war and became a celebrated photographer, dying on 4 October 2000.