Lieutenant in 5th Durham Light Infantry, 1914 RFC, 1916 Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross “Major Lawrence Arthur Pattinson, M.C. (R.Fus.). This officer is not only a capable and most efficient squadron commander, but also an exceptionally fine leader of bombing formations. On the 7th of .September he led a combined formation of twenty-two machines; they were attacked by same thirty aircraft, who made the most determined effort to prevent our formation reaching their objective. By skilful leadership and manoeuvring Major Pattinson repulsed the attack and dispersed the enemy formation. Leading well over the target excellent results were obtained. (M.C. gazetted 3rd June, 1916)” m. 1923 Mabel Copeland [Capper] 1926-30 Wing Commander Air Staff Training, RAF India
Air Marshal L A Pattinson, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Flying Training Command, talking to workers at Rugby, Warwickshire, on the completion of an RAF training station www.rafweb.org says "Retiring in 1942 he was employed temporarily by the ATA until recalled to service and appointed Head of the RAF Training Mission to China, after which he reverted to the Retired List." His ATA career did not last long: on the 14th January 1942, after he landed Airspeed Oxford Z7126 at Atcham, he selected 'undercarriage up' instead of 'flaps up' and the port undercarriage leg collapsed. Veronica Volkerz tells the story in her book: "The Chairman of the Accidents Committee was an air vice-marshal, lent to the ATA from the RAF. Some time after my carpeting [after her accident in a Hurricane], he was ferrying an Oxford and called in at Shawbury to refuel. I was not unamused to hear that he went into the watch office to be greeted by the duty pilot with the exclamation "Oh, look sir! You've left your flaps down." "So I have", he replied, and went out and got into the aircraft, which sank to the ground with a resounding thud. He had retracted the undercarriage by mistake. Next time the Accidents Committee sat, he was 'on leave.' " d. 28 Mar 1955, Wendover Bucks |
Ancestry.co.uk
ATAM
