LAWSON, Orval Percy

NAME                    LAWSON          Orval Percy
RANK                    Pilot Officer       94370                                                                                                                                                RAF Bomber Command - Western Desert  Air Force - 204 Group - 270 Wing                  SQUADRON         RAF No. 14
                              “I spread my wings and keep my promise”                                                                                                                  RAF Algero - Sassari - Sardinia                                                                                                Born                      May 14, 1917 - Artland - Saskatchewan                                                                          Residence             Orillia - Ontario                                                                                                                      Died                       May 7, 1944          27 years
Memorial                Alamein Memorial - Tell al-Alamein - Egypt
                              Column 282
Wife                       Mrs. Annie Mildred Lawson - Orillia / Toronto                                                                  Daughter               Miss Maureen Lawson 
Parents                  Mr. George and Jennry Lawson of Exeter                                                                          Brother                  Pilot Officer Gerald Lawson - Royal Canadian Air Force                                                      Sister                     Mrs. Garnet Hicks - Exeter

Orval was born in Saskatchewan on May 14, 1917, and at some point his family moved to Ontario and
Huron County. He spent the first 8 years in Saskatchewan. He enjoyed hockey, baseball and badminton as he grew up. Orval attended Exeter Public School 1925-30 and then attended Exeter High School 1930-35 getting his senior matriculation. Growing up he had pneumonia, measles, chicken pox and the mumps. The Lawson family would have attended Exeter United Church. Once he had completed his education he was employed as a bank clerk with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Orillia. 

Canada

On January 27, 1942, Orval enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air force in Toronto. At this time he stood 5' 9" and weighed 154 pounds. He had a medium complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He was given the rank of Aircraftsman 2. Until the middle of February he was at the Recruitment Centre and at that time he was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. On June 7 he was posted to No. 1 Initial Training School Toronto - Ontario and remained here until the middle of August. He received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman while in Toronto. At that time his next posting was to No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School in Jarvis - Ontario where he earned his Air Observer Badge. In the autumn on October 11 he went east to No. 10 Air Observer School in Chatham - New Brunswick and earned his Air Navigator Badge.  He also received the rank of  Lance Sergeant and then received the rank of Warrant Officer 2.                                                                                                                                  On February 6, 1943 his final posting in Canada sent him to Summerside - Prince Edward Island to No. 1 General Reconnaissance School and then in the middle of June he was sent to "Y" Depot in Halifax in preparation for going overseas.

Overseas

Warrant Officer Lawson volunteered for the RAF Training Pool on June 22 and embarked from Canada on June 23, 1943 and 8 days later on July 1 he disembarked in the United Kingdom. The following day he had found his way to Bournemouth and reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. His first posting overseas was to No. 6 Operational Training Unit for crews based at Silloth - Cumbria on July 20. They trained on Ansons and Wellington aircraft. While here he obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant and stayed here until October 3. 

In the Field

In early October he was posted to RAF Mediterranean Air Command and assigned to No. 1 Base Personnel Depot. This Command was involved in missions in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre. Then on November 15 he was posted to RAF No. 14 Squadron which had returned to the desert in November of 1941 for day and night raids. In August of 1942 the Squadron began converting to Marauder aircraft. They then conducted bombing, mine-laying and shipping reconnaissance missions. Then in March 1943 the Squadron moved to Algeria and began anti submarine patrols. Sections of the Squadron were sent to Sardinia                                     Pilot Officer Lawson departed in Marauder FK 120 at 9:05 am for a mission against enemy shipping off of the coasts of France and Spain in the Mediterranean Sea and was never seen or heard from again. He was the Navigator on this mission. This was to have been a low - level anti-shipping mission between Marseilles - France  and Barcelona - Spain. They were to have sent back a weather report of the Marseilles area when they were on that leg of the mission flying south toward Spain. It is felt this aircraft was lost between Maison Blanche Airfield and Marseilles. Nothing was ever found of him or his aircraft. The weather was good but it was later learned that there was a belt of heavy weather they had to go through to get to their patrol area. There is a possibility that they were flying very low in the squalls and hit the sea. A search was conducted on both sides of the outbound leg Marauder FK 120 flew from Cape Pertusato (south Corsica) to a sea position 30 miles from the Franch coast.
No. 14 Squadron performed mining operations, bombing missions against shipping, shipping reconnaissance missions, and anti-submarine missions.

The wife and mother of Pilot Officer Lawson received the Memorial Cross in December 1946 and his wife then received the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Orval is honoured and remembered on the Exeter High School Memorial Plaque and on the Exeter United Church Memorial Plaque and on the Exeter Cenotaph. He is also honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on the Alamein Memorial. Orval is also honoured and remembered on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial.