George Edgar Bruce Lawson

Name:

Country:

South Africa

Rank:

Lieutenant

Service:

Royal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force

Unit:

Victories:

Born:

26 April 1899

Place of Birth:

Cape Town, South Africa

Died:

19 November 1923

Place of Death:

Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, South Africa

Cemetery:

Thaba Tshwane (OLD No.1) Military Cemetery

An S.E.5a pilot, George Edgar Bruce Lawson was assigned to 32 Squadron in April 1918. He scored his last two victories of the war on 27 September 1918. One of these was Fritz Rumey of Jasta 5. Lawson collided with Rumey's Fokker D.VII and the German ace jumped from his plane but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy. In 1923, Lawson joined the South African Air Force but died from injuries in a crash whilst flying as a passenger aboard a D.H.9 or Avro 504K.

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Lieut. George Edgar Bruce Lawson. (FRANCE)
A pilot of courage and skill, bold in attack and gallant in action, who has accounted for five enemy aeroplanes. On 27th September he attacked fifteen Fokker biplanes that were harassing one of our bombing formations, driving down one in flames. He then engaged a second; in the combat the two machines collided, and the enemy aeroplane fell down completely out of control. Although his machine was badly damaged, Lieutenant Lawson successfully regained our lines.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 February 1919 (31170/2042)

Opponents

#6	Fritz Rumey

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	07 Jun 1918	1130	32	S.E.5a (C1881)	Albatros D.V (OOC)	Lagny
2	06 Sep 1918	1700	32	S.E.5a (E1399)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	Holnon
3	16 Sep 1918	1800	32	S.E.5a (E1399)	Fokker D.VII (OOC)	Marquion
4	24 Sep 1918	1710	32	S.E.5a (E1399)	Fokker D.VII (OOC)	N of Cambrai
5	27 Sep 1918	0930	32	S.E.5a (E1399)	Fokker D.VII (DESF)	Emerchicourt
6	27 Sep 1918	0930	32	S.E.5a (E1399)	Fokker D.VII (DES)	Emerchicourt