Description
Object description
Case, Cigarette, Silver: Squadron Leader Brian Lane
Physical description
The silver case is curved and bears the initials 'B.J.L.' on the hinged lid. The bottom edge and bottom rear of the case are dented due to an air crash that Brian Lane was involved in while flying a Miles Magister aircraft (L8136) on 11 November 1938. Lane as commemorated the accident by scratching the legend '11/11/38 Magister L8136' on to the dented area. The case has a hinged lid with a raised lip to aid opening. The inside carries the 1937 hallmark of the Birmingham Assay Office (lion passant with letter N signifying 1937). There are further hall marks on the base of the case. The Birmingham Assay Office identifying markings of the lion passant and anchor, the date letter N and the letter Z, which may be the maker. The inside of the case is a gold colour.
History note
Solid silver cigarette case that belonged to RAF Duxford's 19 Squadron commander, Squadron Leader Brian Lane. The case is dented due to an air crash that Brian Lane was involved in while flying a Miles Magister aircraft (L8136) on 11 November 1938. Lane as commemorated the accident by scratching the legend '11/11/38 Magister L8136' on to the dented area. The accident report for this crash is held by the National Archives under catalogue reference AVIA 5/19/W624.
History note
Brian John Edward 'Sandy' Lane, born 18 June 1917 in Harrogate, joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in 1936. Following flying training he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer and posted to No. 66 Squadron at RAF Duxford in January 1937, briefly serving with the squadron until being posted to No. 213 Squadron at RAF Northolt in March 1937.
In September 1939 Lane returned to Duxford after being posted to No. 19 Squadron, the first squadron to be equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire. As a Flight Commander, Lane flew sorties over Dunkirk during the evacuations, claiming two enemy aircraft destroyed and two probables, and temporarily served as the squadron's commanding officer when Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson was shot down and captured near Calais on 25 May (Stephenson's Spitfire has been restored and is on display at IWM Duxford). Lane was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 30 July 1940.
During the Battle of Britain, Lane and 19 Squadron operated out of Duxford's satellite airfield at Fowlmere (G1) and were increasingly involved in the fighting from mid-August, with Lane claiming a Bf 110 destroyed on the 24th. On 5 September, Lane was given command of 19 Squadron after its commanding officer, Squadron Leader Philip Campbell 'Tommy' Pinkham, was killed in action. During the fighting in September, when 19 Squadron began operating as part of the Duxford Wing under Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, Lane claimed three more enemy aircraft destroyed, one damaged and one probable.
Lane continued as 19 Squadron's commanding officer until June 1941 when he was posted to 12 Group HQ at Watnall on staff duties. After serving in the Middle East in 1942, he was given command of No. 167 Squadron at Ludham on 9 December 1942, but was killed four days later during combat with Fw 190s while on a 'Rhubarb' operation over Holland. He is believed to have been shot down by Oberleutnant Walter Leonhardt of 6 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 1. Lane is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 65.
Lane wrote a book titled 'Spitfire!' about his experiences as a fighter pilot under the pseudonym 'BJ Ellan'.