LANE, Eric Hall
| Service Number: | 406002 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 April 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 3 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Busselton, Western Australia , 9 January 1919 |
| Home Town: | Yallingup, Busselton, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Engineering Cadet |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Egypt, Middle East, 22 November 1941, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Local Roll of Honour - Yallingup, WA, Alamein Memorial, El Alamein War Cemetery, El Alamein, Marsa Matruh, Egypt |
| Memorials: | Alamein Memorial (El Alamein), Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brisbane No 3 Squadron Roll of Honour, Busselton War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flying Officer, 406002 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 406002 | |
| 27 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 406002, No. 1 Initial Training School Somers | |
| 17 Dec 1940: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer | |
| 4 Feb 1941: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 406002, Emb. Australia for Egypt | |
| 29 Apr 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 406002, No. 3 Squadron (RAAF), Middle East / Mediterranean Theatre | |
| 17 Jun 1941: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, No. 3 Squadron (RAAF) |
Eric Hall Lane
On 22/11/41 at 0945 12 3 Squadron Tomahawks escorted six 45 Squadron Blenheims to bomb the Acroma - El Adem road and met 15 Messerchmitt 109s. Oberleutnant Hugo Schneider and Hauptmann Karl-Wolfgang Redlich of I/JG27 shot down three Tomahawk IIBs: Eric Lane in AM378, John Saunders in AN416 and Malcolm Watson in AK510. Eric Lane had been seen battling with three 109s. He got on the tail of one of these and had it smoking badly when another 109 jumped him from behind and shot him down in a mass of flames. Eric Lane was buried by 13 Corps personnel at PP.436365. He is recorded on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt. Column 245.
Submitted 16 August 2020 by Joy Dalgleish
Biography contributed by David Barlow
Flying Officer Lane 406002 in Tomahawk AM378 of 3SQN was killed when his aircraft was shot down by German fighters near the Acroma - El Adem road - his body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt
He was in a group of twelve Tomahawk fighters that were escorting six Blenheim bombers from 45 Squadron RAF to attack enemy vehicle movements on the road