French town honours Spitfire hero

Kyt · Apr 12, 2008

French town honours city Spitfire hero - Edinburgh Evening News

A FRENCH local authority is set to honour an Edinburgh-born Spitfire pilot 64 years after he was shot down – by naming a roundabout after him.

Russell Lyon was just 21 when his plane went down on July 27, 1944, in Brittany, north-west France.

His family had no idea of the final resting place of the former George Watson's pupil until last year when French aviation enthusiasts uncovered the wreckage in a field.

The story of the brave young pilot has attracted so much attention since that the local authority in Larmor-Plage, where his plane came down, has announced that it is to dedicate a roundabout in his memory. It said that the roundabout will be built 100 metres from the site of the crash, between the towns of Ploemeur and Kernevel.

Today, Mr Lyon's nephew, Richard Lyon, said that he was "thrilled" by the news.

The 59-year-old architect, who lives in Cambridge, said: "We found out early last week and I think it is excellent. I'm thrilled the French have taken such an interest. It's terrific news for us."

The Mayor for Larmor-Plage, Mr Victor Tonnerre, said that the memorial would ensure that Mr Lyon's death would never be forgotten.

He said: "We decided to name the roundabout after the pilot in memory of what happened and so we don't forget someone who dedicated his life to France."

Mr Tonnerre said that he expected the memorial would be well-received by the local community.
He said: "A number of the people who live in this area are of a particular generation who know about the war, even if they were not actively involved, and so I think they will respect the dedication."

Ernest Russell Lyon was born in Colinton on December 19, 1922, and joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve soon after his 18th birthday. He was a flying instructor in the US and Canada during the early part of the war and in 1943 joined 234 Squadron, flying in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

He lost his life at the controls of his Spitfire when it was hit at 6000ft by German anti-aircraft fire. His plane was seen to dive out of control and crash in flames.

His final resting place was not discovered until April last year when French aviation enthusiasts found the wreckage. They used serial numbers to track down the pilot and, soon after, discovered an unmarked grave in Lorient.
Click to expand...

Kyt · Apr 12, 2008

Name: LYON, ERNEST RUSSELL
Initials: E R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 234 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 27/07/1944
Service No: 131529
Additional information: Son of Ernest Hutcheon Lyon and Elizabeth Wright Lyon, of Balerno, Midlothian.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 207.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Hope for end to riddle of pilot killed in war - Scotsman.com Heritage & Culture

HE was just 21 when his Spitfire was shot down in Brittany a few weeks after D-Day.
The family of former George Watson's pupil Russell Lyon never had the comfort of knowing his final resting place.

But now, 63 years after the crash, French aviation enthusiasts may have solved the mystery.

Researchers have contacted Mr Lyon's surviving family in Cambridgeshire after finding wreckage in a field in France and using serial numbers to track down the pilot.

They then discovered an unmarked grave in Lorient, where an officer was buried two days after Mr Lyon's plane went down. His nephew Richard Lyon who, along with his two brothers are Mr Lyon's only living relatives, now hopes finally to put a name on the gravestone.

Richard said: "It has been very emotional, especially on Remembrance Sunday. I was contacted by some French enthusiasts who had found the plane.

"They told me they might have found his grave in a war cemetery. Now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is holding an inquiry to find out if it is his body. We are hoping it will tell us that is where he was buried, but they do not exhume bodies for DNA testing, so they have a difficult task.

"However, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence which points to his body having been buried there just days after he was shot down."

Ernest Russell Lyon was born and raised in Colinton, and joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve when he was 18-years-old.

He was a flying instructor during the early part of the war, in the US and Canada. He then joined 234 Squadron and flew in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, but lost his life at the controls of his Spitfire in late July 1944.

Richard, who works as an architect and lives in Cambridgeshire, added: "From what we know he was desperate to get into the war and volunteered to go back to Engl
and to fly.

"Now we wait for a decision from the inquiry which may take several months. Maybe then we can finally lay my uncle to rest."

Farmer Joseph Le Corroller witnessed the crash on July 27, 1944, when he saw the pilot thrown from his plane.

He said: "There were several planes. They initially fired with the machine gun at the submarine base, and while coming from the sea towards the airport the plane went up and then fell. The propeller and the engine were on the ground on fire. The plane was broken up.

"The pilot was seven or eight metres from the plane. He was injured but his arms still moved. I saw his face. The Germans arrived quickly and told me to leave."

The farmer has since been unable to identify Mr Lyon from a photograph. The body lies in a cemetery near the former Luftwaffe airfield and the register records the burial of an Englishman on July 29, 1944.
Click to expand...

Nephews know where uncle was shot down - Scotsman.com Heritage & Culture

CXX · Apr 12, 2008

Fighter Command Losses Vol.3 - Franks.

27 July 1944.
234 Squadron.
Spitfire Vb AR343.
F/O. E R. Lyon +

Rhubarb to Kerlin Bastard, evening. Engaged by flak, crashed in flames near Lorient.

Kyt · Apr 12, 2008

AR343 Vb

8MU 27-2-42
310S 7-6-42
VASM 1-8-42 fuel syst mods wing stiff
331S 28-8-42
416S 14-8-43
FACE 3-1-44
AST
234S 31-5-44
Shot down by flak over Lorient 27-7-44 F/O E R Lyon killed

edit: beaten to it

Antipodean Andy · Apr 12, 2008

Excellent research by the French and Kyt and Peter! Hope at least some people who use the roundabout are aware of its "heritage".

vincis · Jun 27, 2011

See now also:

Ernest Russell Lyon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

vincis

sniper · Jun 27, 2011

Welcome to the forum Vincis. Thankyou for adding the link. What are you researching and do you need help with any of it? Please do introduce yourself in the introduction forum and we look forward to you staying round and joining in.

Sniper

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