25th september 1940 – We remember

109s four o’clock high – coming down

It is rather fitting that I should today begin my contribution to this series of threads remembering those of The Few who fell during the battle. Amongst the crew of the No 23 Sqn Blenheim which crashed at 21.30 hrs whilst attempting to land at Middle Wallop, was Sgt Laurence Robert Karasek, a native of Bexleyheath. In fact he lived down the same road as I do now, he at No 36, and I (appropriately) at No 109.

Four years after Laurie died, in December 1944, his parents received a telegram informing then that his younger brother was ‘Missing believed killed’. One can only imagine how they must have felt at this double blow, or their relief at the news that their son was not dead, but a POW.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to make contact with Laurie’s younger brother. Thanks to him I have a wealth of information on one of The Few who is very personal to me.

In my above post, I mentioned how any aircrew below the rank of Sgt shold have been promoted to that rank. Laurie’s personnel records reveal that he was duly promoted from LAC to Sgt on the 27th May 1940, yet his fellow crewman Reg Payne remained an AC2.

After Laurie’s death, his family received the following letter –

‘Dear Mr Karasek – I am in command of the flight in which your son served. I would endevour to express to you how much I, and the members of my unit, will miss our gallant friend. I had several long talks with him, & indeed got to know him well, & a keener servant of our King it would be impossible to find.

We all miss him & remember him as a grand gentleman, at work as well as at play.

Very sincerely

R.A. Lee Knight
F/Lt’

Almost exactly a year later, on the 27th September 1941, Lee Knight was to lose his own live in action whilst commanding No 403 Sqn.

A letter from Laurie’s brother to No 23 Sqn was answered by the squaron’s historian. He reported that a few months earlier he had received a letter from a New Zealander who had been the squadron adjutant, and also had been responsible for investigating the accident in which Laurie was killed.

This is what he had to say about the cause of the accident.

‘An Engineer officer and I were detailed to investigate the cause of the accident that killed Orgias and his gunner [sic]. From the trail of evidence on the ground – namely a battered cylinder, then a frayed steel cable, and nearer the crashed a/c a twisted and buckled and finally the crashed engine with these items missing – we came to the conclusion that for some reason the bolts holding the top cylinder of the radial Mercury engine had become lose. Then the pounding of the piston in the lose cylinder eventually broke the steel cable at the front of the motor allowing the huge top and bottom cowlings to open out suddenly forming an over-powering brake on one side of the aircraft, altogether beyond the control of the pilot. The cowlings of the Mercury were held on by steel cables clamped tightly around at the front and the rear of the motor. In such circumstances the pilot is so busy trying to keep control that he has little opportunity to contemplate death. Pity the gunner [Sic].’

Below, Laurie with ‘Ruff’ the dog, Laurie (on right) with fellow aircrew, and Laurie’s grave at Over Wallop (St Peter) Churchyard, Hants. The grave behind is that of Eric Orgias. (this last photo curtesy of BoBHS member Rex Penford who has adopted both graves).

Geoff.