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Link care of the Lincolnshire Bomber Command memorial
Happy Birthday, Bill!
Squadron Leader WE 'Bill' Lucas DFC will celebrate his 100th birthday on 16th January.
Bill was a county standard athlete, who volunteered for active service in 1940.
When asked which service he preferred he replied, '…not the army, as my father was in the trenches and earned a Military Medal… I don’t like water, so it had better be the Royal Air Force.'
He initially trained as a fighter pilot, but was transferred to Bomber Command as there was a greater need for pilots there.
Bill flew Wellingtons, Stirlings, Whitleys and Mosquitos with 9, 15, 199 and 162 Squadrons.
He survived 14 'trips' to Berlin, and carried out 81 Operations.
Bill Lucas represented his country in the 5000m at the 1948 Olympic Games at the age of 32. All the British athletes were still subject to food rationing.
Bill’s biggest regret is missing the 1940 Olympics in Helsinki, and the cancelled Games of 1944 due to the war. He is quoted as saying, 'these should have been the best athletic years of my life.'
Bill’s memories have been captured as part of the IBCC Oral History Project. Bill is a great IBCC supporter and has raised funds through signings with the West Sussex Veterans Group.
From all of us at the IBCC – many Congratulations on reaching this milestone!
Bill Lucas 1942
Bill Lucas more recently
Happy Birthday, Bill!
Bill was a county standard athlete, who volunteered for active service in 1940.
When asked which service he preferred he replied, '…not the army, as my father was in the trenches and earned a Military Medal… I don’t like water, so it had better be the Royal Air Force.'
He initially trained as a fighter pilot, but was transferred to Bomber Command as there was a greater need for pilots there.
Bill flew Wellingtons, Stirlings, Whitleys and Mosquitos with 9, 15, 199 and 162 Squadrons.
He survived 14 'trips' to Berlin, and carried out 81 Operations.
Bill Lucas represented his country in the 5000m at the 1948 Olympic Games at the age of 32. All the British athletes were still subject to food rationing.
Bill’s biggest regret is missing the 1940 Olympics in Helsinki, and the cancelled Games of 1944 due to the war. He is quoted as saying, 'these should have been the best athletic years of my life.'
Bill’s memories have been captured as part of the IBCC Oral History Project. Bill is a great IBCC supporter and has raised funds through signings with the West Sussex Veterans Group.
From all of us at the IBCC – many Congratulations on reaching this milestone!