God save the King

Ginger Lacey

J. H. "Ginger" Lacey
"Ginger" Lacey was the most successful RAF fighter pilot to survive the Battle of Britain. In 1937 Lacey left his job as a drug store clerk to join the RAF's volunteer reserve. Soon this instinctively gifted flier was a flight instructor. In May 1940 Lacey, now flying Hurricanes in 501 Squadron, went to France and shot down three enemy aircraft in a single day to win the Croix de Guerre. He returned to England with five victories. Lacey added to his score as the Battle of France wound down and the Battle of Britain heated up. On a cloudy day in mid-September the 501 Squadron controllers called for a volunteer to intercept a Heinkel 111.


Unbeknownst to them, the Heinkel had bombed Buckingham Palace. The weather was so thick that the volunteer would probably have to bail out at the end of the sortie. Lacey managed to intercept and shoot down the bomber, but had his radiator shot away in the process. He bailed out and almost fell victim to members of the British Home Guard. A string of Anglo-Saxon expletives convinced the Guard that this was no German. In another action he attacked 12 Bf 109s single-handedly. He shot one down, damaged two, and again returned home safely. By the end of October he ran his score up to 18, getting shot down several times in the process.

J.H. "Ginger" Lacey, a Hurricane pilot with 501 Squadron destroyed 5 enemy aircraft during the "Battle of France" and added an additional 18 before the end of 1940 to become the leading British Ace of that desperate first year of the war. His final tally of 28 confirmed, 4 probables and 9 damaged, place him among the top 5 British pilots of WWII in terms of aircraft personally destroyed. Rated an "exceptional" pilot by the best of his peers, he remained largely unheralded, partly due to the fact he was a Sergeant Pilot and upon gaining his commission was posted to India (1943). He commanded No. 17 Squadron there at war's end. His fascinating hardcover book "Fighter Pilot" was re-released in 1988 (Blandford Press, Artillery Row, London, England).
It is without a doubt, one of the absolute best books ever written about a wartime pilot, due to the unbelievable events which Jim Lacey survived and the great skill of the author (Richard Townshend Bickers) in relating them in such a fast paced cohesive narrative.Yorkshire born, he was friendly but reserved, modest, "laid back", humorous, quiet and very tough. Some of his exploits including shooting down the HE-111 which bombed Buckingham Palace; putting the first Spitfire over Japan; and outmaneuvering two ME-109's (when he was out of ammunition) and causing them to crash into each other as they converged to finish him off. (Both E/A were destroyed.)
He also shared a visit with the famous Edgar "Cobber" Kain (top Battle of France Ace with 17 kills) while bombers attacked their airfield near Rouen. They discovered after that they had been sitting next to the gasoline dump! He served under the distinguished S/L Paddy Finucane (32 victories), with J.B. Nicholson V.C. (Only fighter pilot V.C. of the Battle of Britain), shared 2 "beers" with a distinguished visitor to his Squadron (King George VI), and had George "Screwball" Beurling (top Canadian Ace) as one of his students at an O.T.U.


Squadron leader Ginger Lacey
(1917-1989)
Final Tally: 28
Fighter Aircraft Flown: Hawker Hurricane
Rank at End of War: Squadron Leader
Medals and Awards: Croix de Guerre, DFM+Bar
Campaign Flown: Battle of Britain

HOME