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L F W Stark

Name : L F W Stark Died : 1st August 2004 Awards : Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Bar Air Force Cross Belgian Croiz de Guerre

Lawrence W F Stark was born on 16th November 1920 in Bolton, Lancashire and was educated at Bolton School and then The Lancashire and Manchester Technical College. Pinkie Stark joined the RAF in 1941 and trained to be a pilot in Canada. On his return to England he spent some time flying Avro Ansons and Boulton Paul Defiants before being sent to a Typhoon OTU and and to 182 Squadron, then posted on operations the 10th January 1943 to 609 Typhoon Fighter Squadron, based at Manston. The squadron had been tasked to counter the hit and run attacks over South-East England by Fw190s. On 12 March 1943 Lawrence W F Stark had his first victory when he downed a Fw190 over Dunkirk. He shot down two Ju88 bombers over France, one in October and the other on 2 November 1943. He flew so low when claiming the first of these Ju88s that he clipped the top of some trees, returning to base with branches in the now misshapen nose of his Typhoon. On 4th January 1944 he shared in the destruction of a Dornier Do217, he also shot down a Caudron Goeland transport and another Fw 190, with 5½ victories and another aircraft destroyed on the ground he qualified as an Ace. He served on with 609 Squadron throughout occupied Europe, eventually taking over as the Squadron Commander and, awarded the DFC, became an Ace as one of the most successful Typhoon pilots in aerial combat. In February 1944 he moved to 263 Typhoon Fighter Squadron as a flight commander, to carry out ground-attack operations, still with the Typhoon. He flew sorties in support of the D-Day landing attacking ground targets in Northern France but in July 1944 he was shot down in Brittany. With the help of the French resistance he evaded capture and returned to England in a motor boat. Stark later returned to 609 Squadron as commanding officer to continue the ground-attack work. Stark continued flying in the RAF and gained a Bar to his DFC. In 1947 he completed the Empire Test Course and was posted to Boscombe Down as a test pilot, in particular with the Blind Landing Experimental Unit performing automatic landing trials. He was awarded the AFC and C de G (Belg). He retired from the RAF in 1963 and later became manager of Rochester Airport.. Sadly Squadron Leader Stark passed away on the 1st of August 2004. Pinkie Stark with his damaged Typhoon, most likely taken after his scrape with treetops while shooting down a Ju88 in October 1943. Citation for DFC, 7th March 1944 : This officer is a cool and resourceful fighter who had invariably displayed great keenness and determination. He has shot down 6 enemy aircraft in combat, whilst in attacks on the enemy targets on the ground he has destroyed an aircraft and a locomotive; he has also attacked a number of small vessels such as tugs and barges with damaging effect. Citation for the Bar to the DFC, 3rd October 1944 : Flight Lieutenant Stark has a completed a large number of sorties. He has led his flight against many difficult and dangerous targets and despite heavy enemy opposition he has always pressed home his attacks to a successful conclusion. His excellent leadership, courage and fine fighting spirit have set a splendid example to all.

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew

Normandy Sunrise by Gerald Coulson (AP)

Striking Back by Gerald Coulson.

Artwork featuring the mounted signature of this Pilot or Aircrew

Red Section Scramble by Ivan Berryman. (C)

Aircraft for : L F W Stark
A list of all aircraft associated with L F W Stark. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Anson Click the name above to see prints featuring Anson aircraft. Manufacturer : Avro Production Began : 1935 Retired : 1968 Number Built : 11020	Anson he Avro Anson originated from the Avro 652 commercial aircraft which first flew on 7th January 1935. It was a twin-engine British-built multi-role aircraft which saw distinctive service with both the Royal Air Force and The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm as well as The Royal Canadian Air Force during and after the Second World War. The prototype 652A first flew at Woodford on 7th January 1935 and was developed from an initial airliner design and named after Admiral George Anson. The adaptation for a coastal reconnaissance role resulted in the production variant, the Avro 652a, which flew at Woodford on New Years Eve 1935 with the type entering service in March 1936 as the Anson Mk1. Initially it was flown with a 3-man crew but later developments in its reconnaissance role required a 4th crew member. The Anson entered service on 6 March 1936 with 48 Squadron equipped with the Anson. At the start of the Second World War, the RAF had received 824 Ansons and there were 26 RAF squadrons operating the Anson I: 10 with Coastal Command and 16 with Bomber Command. All of the squadrons in Bomber Command in 1939 with Anson Is were operational training squadrons that prepared crews for frontline service. 12 of the squadrons were in No. 6 (Operational Training) Group. Newly formed crews having completed individual flying and technical training were first trained as bomber crews in Ansons and then advanced to the various frontline aircraft types, which were also in the same squadrons with the Ansons. After training in the frontline aircraft type, crews would advance to the frontline bomber squadrons with those aircraft types (Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Vickers Wellington, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, and Handley-Page Hampden). At the start of the war, the Lockheed Hudson was beginning to replace the Ansons in Coastal Command with one squadron of Hudsons and one with both Ansons and Hudsons. Limited numbers of Ansons continued to serve in operational roles such as coastal patrols and air/sea rescue. Early in the war, an Anson scored a probable hit on a German U-boat. In June 1940, a flight of three Ansons was attacked by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Remarkably, before the dogfight ended, without losing any of their own, one of the Ansons destroyed two German aircraft and damaged a third. The aircraft's true role, however, was to train pilots for flying multi-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. The Anson was also used to train the other members of a bomber's aircrew, such as navigators, wireless operators, bomb aimers and air gunners. Postwar, the Anson continued in the training and light transport roles. The last Ansons were withdrawn from RAF service with communications units on 28 June 1968. The Royal Australian Air Force operated 1,028 Ansons, mainly Mk Is, until 1955
Typhoon Click the name above to see prints featuring Typhoon aircraft. Manufacturer : Hawker Production Began : 1941 Number Built : 3330	Typhoon Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330.

Squadrons for : L F W Stark
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by L F W Stark. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.263 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 27th September 1918 Fate : Disbanded 30th June 1963 Ex ungue leonem - From his claws one knows the lion Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.263 Sqn RAF	No.263 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.
No.609 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 10th February 1936 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 West Riding (Auxiliary) Tally ho! Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.609 Sqn RAF	No.609 Sqn RAF 609 (West Riding) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force: 609 Squadron came into being on the 10th February 1936 as part of the expanding Auxiliary Air Force. Initially a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Harts. On 8th December, 1938, the Squadrons role was changed from bomber to fighter and the squadron took delivery of its first Spitfires Mk I during August 1939. The squadrons first victory was a Heinkel HE111 H-2 of 2/KG26 which was shot down near St. Abbs Head, 27th February 1940, by Flying Officer G. D. Ayre, Pilot Officer J R Buchanan and Flying Officer D Persse-Joynt. 609 squadron was, it is said, the first Spitfire Squadron to reach 100 victories (Ju88 A-5 1/KG51) on 21st October 1940. The victory was shared by Flight Lieutenant F J Howell and Pilot Officer S J Hill. During April 1942, 609 began to replace its Spitfires with Hawker Typhoons, and went on to become the first Typhoon squadron with 227 victories. Based at many RAF Stations 609 was in action throughout WWII, covering the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and supporting the D-Day landings as part of the 2nd TAF. There were many decorations awarded to squadron members, these included 3 DSOs, 22 DFCs and Bars and 4 DFMs. On 16th December 1947, King George VI gave permission for use of the Royal Prefix for all Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. 609 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was disbanded on 10th March 1957, whilst equipped with Gloster Meteors F8 at RAF Church Fenton, Yorkshire. On 1st October, 1999, 609 (west Riding) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, was re-formed at RAF Leeming operating in the guise of Air Defence Support Squadron (ADSS).

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