Sgt J.H.`Ginger` Lacey (RAF No. 134518 ) was of average height, slim build he was a qualified flying instructor. A Yorkshire man born at Whetherby on February the 1st, 1917 and died on the 30th of  May 1989. He flew Hurricane's with No 501 Squadron and for shooting down 5 enemy aircraft between May 10 and June 19, 1940, during the Battle for France, James Harry "Ginger" Lacey was awarded the D.F.M. and Croix de Guerre, and was Mentioned in Dispatches. For destroying another 18 between July the 10th and October the 31st 1940 he was given a bar to his D.F.M. This was the greatest number attained by an R.A.F. fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. Sgt J.H.C.Lacy of No 501 Squadron landed his Hurricane on the 30th of August 1940 with a shattered radiator and 87 bullet holes in the wing and fuselage. On the 13th of September 1940 he baled out of his HurricaneI (P2793) after being hit by return fire from a He 111 over Maidstone. Also on this day Buckingham Palace was bombed, but the He 111 did not get away, it  was shot down by Sgt Ginger Lacey   He scored four victories in 1941 and his last in 1945. Only five R.A.F. pilots exceeded his total of 28. He was also credited with four probables and nine damaged. Ginger Lacey was assessed exceptional as a pilot and as a marksman, he was brilliant. A natural leader, he inspired those under his command by example, quiet authority and professional ability.

F/O P.G.Lamb had been a member of No 610 Squadron since 1938, he shot down a Bf 109 on the 24th of August 1940 and another one on the 26th of August, Lamb also shot down a Bf 110 on the 29th of August and a He 111 on the 30th of August. Lamb was awarded the A.F.C. on the 26th of October 1943.

P/O R.L.Lamb served with No 600 Squadron flying Blenheim's during the Battle of Britain.  He served later in the war with 35 (Pathfinder) Squadron. He was shot down in February 1944 and was imprisoned in Colditz.

S/L Brian J.( Sandy ) Lane was leader of No 19 Squadron from the 5th of September 1940. He helped two Hurricane's shoot down a Bf 110 on the 7th of September 1940 which crashed East of  Hornchurch. His score was 6 destroyed 1 shared 1 shared destroyed and 1 probable. He was killed in 1941.

P/O R.Lane joined No 43 Squadron on the 13th of July 1940. P/O R.Lane shot down a Ju 87 on the 18th of August. Lane was shot down by defensive fire on the 26th of August. He was wounded and badly burned. In 1944, as a liaison officer with the Chindits, he was forced down in the jungle by engine trouble. Captured by the Japanese he was executed on 20 June 1944, aged 24.

P/O N.C.Langham-Hobart of No 73 Squadron was badly burned on the 23rd of September 1940 when his Hurricane I (P2036) was in combat over the Thames at 11:05hrs with a Bf 109.

P/O G.A.Langley of No 41 Squadron baled out of his Spitfire I (X4325) safely after combat with a Ju 88 on the 11th of September 1940 over Sevenoaks at 16:35hrs. He was on patrol on the 15th of September 1940 in his Spitfire I (P9324). He was shot down and killed by a Bf 109 near Thurrock at 12:30hrs.

Sgt J.Lansdell from No 607 Squadron was on patrol on the 17th of September 1940. He was shot down and killed in his Hurricane I by a Bf 109 of JG 27, at 15:40hrs.

P/O Waclaw Lapkowski from Poland flew Hurricane's with No 303 Squadron during the  Battle of Britain. He was attacked in his Hurricane I (P2985) by a Bf 109 on the 5th of  September 1940. He baled out wounded over Gillingham, Kent. He was later promoted to Squadron Leader and his score stood at 6 kills 1 shared kill and 1 damaged.

P/O J.E.P.Laricheliere a Canadian from No 213 Squadron was shot down and killed his  Hurricane I off Portland on the 16th of August 1940 at 13:00hrs.

P/O John Blandford Latta a Canadian flew Hurricanes with No 242 Squadron during the  Battle of Britain. He was awarded the D.F.C. on the 8th of November 1940.

Sgt A.John 'Ginger' Lauder flew with No 264 Squadron in Defiant's during the Battle of Britain. The Squadron changed to night fighting after being decimated by enemy fighters and he survived the War and ended up as a Flight Lieutenant.

S/L Keith Ashley Lawrence was born at Waitara New Zealand on November 25 1919. He worked in a bank after leaving Southland Boys' High School at Invercargill in December 1936. He joined the Civil Reserve of Pilots in February 1938, he was accepted for further pilot training in Britain and sailed from New Zealand in February 1939.  Lawrence completed his flying training in November and joined the newly-formed No 234 Squadron. The squadron became operational with Spitfires in early May 1940. On the 8th of July Lawrence shared in the destruction of a Ju 88, the unit's first victory, it was attacking a convoy in the Western Approaches. Two months later Lawrence was posted to No 603 Squadron and moved to 421 Flight, which subsequently became No 91 Squadron in early 1941. During the Battle of Britain he destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged four others. He was awarded the D.F.C. in September 1942. Lawrence was released from the RAF in March 1946 and returned to New Zealand. He settled in Christchurch but later returned to Britain.

Sgt N.A.Lawrence of No 54 Squadron destroyed a Bf 109 on the 9th of July. On the 15th of August he destroyed three Ju 87's then his Spitfire I (N3097) was shot down by a Bf 109 in the same fight and crashed in the sea off Dover at 11:45hrs, he was rescued by the Navy. Unusually, he left the RAF during the war, in mid-1943.

P/O A.F.Laws from No 64 Squadron was killed on the 30th of September 1940 at 10:30hrs. His Spitfire I (P9564) collided with another Spitfire I during a patrol.

F/O J.A. 'Prof' Leathart was a long-serving member of No 54 Squadron. On May the 21st he  shot down a He 111. The next day he flew a trainer to a French aerodrome to pick up the CO of No 74 Squadron, escorted by F/O A.C.Deere and P/O J.L.Allen. In spite of the interference of German fighters, the mission was successful and Leathart was awarded the D.S.O. on the  11th of June 1940 for this action. By the end of May he had shot down six more enemy aircraft and had taken over acting command of the Squadron. He scored four more victories during the Battle.

F/O Phillip Howard `Uncle Sam` Leckrone was an American Volunteer from Salem, Illinois, who  fought in the Battle of Britain. He joined No 616 Squadron at Kenley on the 2nd of September 1940 and was posted to 71 Squadron at Church Fenton on  the 12th of October 1940, to join other American volunteers in the first 'Eagle' squadron. On the 5th of January 1941 Phillip was killed on a formation practice,  when he collided with Pilot Officer E.E.Orbison. He was the Squadron's first fatality. He is buried in Kirton-in-Lindsey Burial Ground in Lincolnshire.

P/O J.G.Lecky flew with No 610 Squadron and No 41 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. He died after bailing out of his Spitfire I (P9447) on the 11th of October 1940 during combat with Bf 109's near Maidstone, Kent at 16:30hrs.

P/O K.N.T.'Hawkeye' Lee of No 501 Squadron was wounded on the 18th of August 1940 and baled out of his Hurricane I (P3059) at 13:30hrs.  He was one of four Hurricane's from the Squadron shot down over Canterbury by Gerhard Schöpfel of III Gruppe of JG 26 flying a Bf 109.

Sgt. M.A.Lee of No 421 Flight was on the 15th of October 1940 attacked by a Bf 109 at 11:00hrs. He force landed his Spitfire II (P7444) and he was wounded. The Spitfire was wrecked, but later repaired.

F/O Richard Hugh Anthony 'Dickie' Lee of No 85 Squadron opened the score for the Squadron in World War II. He was Lord Trenchard's Godson was killed while he was on patrol on the 18th of August 1940. He was lost in his Hurricane I (2923)  after chasing three Bf 109's off the east coast, at 17:50hrs. F/L R.H.A.Lee D.S.O.- D.F.C. was aged 23.

W/C Ronald B.Lees of No 72 Squadron was wounded on the 2nd of September 1940 at  16:15hrs. His Spitfire I (K9840) was damaged in combat over Lympne and he crashed on landing.

P/O J.D.Lenham of No 607 Squadron was killed on the 9th of September 1940 at 17:35hrs.His Hurricane I (P3117) was shot down in combat over Mayfield.

Sgt M.E.Leng of No 73 Squadron was injured on the 23rd of September 1940 at 10:55hrs. His Hurricane I (P8812) was shot down by a  Bf 109 over Faversham, Kent. He was shot down on the 25th of August 1940 at 01:30hrs near Beverly. His Hurricane I (P3758) was brought down by British anti-aircraft fire. He baled out and was unhurt.

F/L S.P.le Rougetel flying with No 600 Squadron. On the 9th of August 1940, at night his Blenheim suffered engine failure. To compound his problems, he came under fire from British A.A.fire. He and his radar operator/gunner Sgt E.C.Smith baled out of the Blenheim 1f  BQ-O (L8679) over the Channel. They were both safe but Smith had to swim ashore at Westgate.

P/O DARG leRoy du Vivier "Boy" a Belgian joined No 43 Squadron  on the 4th of August  1940. He scored 1 kill, a Stuka (Ju 87) during the Battle and 4 during later service. He was wounded with leg injuries when he crash landed his Hurricane I (P3903) near Old Romney after combat with a Bf 109, at 13:20hrs on the 2nd of September 1940. Roy du Vivrier was awarded the Croix de Guerre (Belgian) on the 21st of July 1941,the D.F.C. on the 30th of January 1942 and the D.F.C. Bar on the 15th of September 1942.

P/O Albert Gerald Lewis a South African flew with No 616 Squadron at the outbreak of hostilities and then moved to No 504 Squadron fighting in France. He then moved to No 85 Squadron still in  France where he claimed 9 kills. He stayed with No 85 Squadron until August and shot down two more  Germans. Lewis then joined No 249 Squadron. On the 27th of September he claimed 6 kills, two  probables and one damaged. Lewis baled out of his Hurricane I (V6617) badly burned on the 28th of  September 1940 over Faversham at 14:20hrs.