[Laurence]

Wing Commander George Laurence Bazett Hull was my mother's twin brother. My first name is Laurence.He was not from Southern Rhodesia but South Africa. His Cousin, Squadron Leader Caesar Hull of 43 Hurricane Squadron out of Tangmere. was killed in the Battle of London Docks on the first day of the switch from bombing the airfields to bombing the cities, Sep 7th 1940. Caesar was born in Southern Rhodesia where a memorial was erected in The Matopos near Rhodes' grave. I believe this was rescued from the scrap metal stripping mayhem in Zimbabwe and brought to Tangmere.

Laurence came from S Africa about 1935 and joined Bomber Command, I believe on account of a measure of colour blindness. His cousin joined Fighter Command and was such an outstanding pilot that he was chosen to demonstate the Spitfire to the King at Hendon. He also has a memorial in Norway on account of his exploits there. He was a close personal friend of Peter Townsend in 43 Squadron.

Laurence's adventures included sleep walking out of his first floor barracks and falling into the only garden bed among the surrounding concrete. He was six months in plaster.

He was in Blenheims for the first half of the war, being shot down in Holland in April 1942. An engine was on his chest. He had a month in hospital before being shipped to POW camp, largely Stalag Luft 3. He was in the Great Escape, drawing a late lottery number and being in a position to get back to barracks when the alarm went off. Hitler shot 50 escapees against the Geneva Convention.

He was involved in the cattle truck cum hunger march in the winter of 1945 from Sagan to Hamburg where he was liberated. He returned for his first holiday in South Africa in ten years in September 1945, where I met him at the age of seven in Durban and with my cousins in Springs. He was killed as noted, in the Mosqito accident of May 1946.