Brian John Edward Lane

Squadron Leader Brian John Edward ‘Sandy’ Lane DFC was born in 1917 and joined the RAF in 1936. Flying Spitfires with No. 19 Squadron, he fought over Dunkirk and through the Battle of Britain, rose to command the squadron in September 1940, and was much loved by his pilots. He set down his experiences in a vivid first-hand account, published in 1942 as Spitfire! under a pen-name, which has become a classic of the period. Lane survived the great battles only to be lost on 13 December 1942: last seen chasing two Focke-Wulf Fw 190s off the Dutch coast, he never returned and has no known grave. He was twenty-five.