Operation: Patrol

Date: 14th May 1940 (Tuesday)

Unit: No.1 Squadron (motto: n omnibus princeps 'First in all thing')

Type: Hurricane I

Serial. L1676

Code: JX-?

Location: South West of Rethel, France

Base: Nantes/ Chateau Bougon

Pilot: F/O. Robert Laurie Lorimer 37731 RAF Age 25. Missing - believed klllled

REASON FOR LOSS:

This aircraft was shot down in combat South West of Rethel, France by Bf109's at 08:30 hrs. The pilot is still listed as missing in action, despite his burnt out Hurricane being found by the French - in the same area as F/O. Clisby's machine.

F/O. Lorimer on left, together with his best friend, Australian ace F/O. Clisby (1) Runnymede Memorial (archives)

Members of 1 Squadron taken just days before F/O. Lorimer was lost.

Above: On the far left is P/O. Billy Drake- later DSO. DFC. and a Group Captain. Next to him is F/O. Leslie Redford Clisby DFC. Behind his left shoulder is his friend, Robert Lawrie Lorimer, Fl/Lt. Peter Prosser Hanks - later Wing Commander. Between him and Halahan is P/O. Peter William Olber Mould .
Behind Frederick Crosby Halahan - later Air Vice Marshal CMG.CBE. DSO. MVO. DL left shoulder is 2nd/Lt. Jean-François Demozay. - later Wing Commander DFC. DSO. Croix de Guerre. Legion d'Honneur.
Fl/Lt. Peter Russell Walker - later DFC. DSO. CBE. Croix de Guerre. Group Captain
Standing in front of Walker and the next two pilots is Fl/Lt. DM Brown, the squadron medical officer. Behind his left shoulder is F/O. John Ignatius Kilmartin - later DFC. OBE. Wing Commander.
Almost hidden behind Brown and Kilmartin is Fl/Lt. Paul Henry Mills Richey - later DFC. Croix de Guerre. Officier in de Kroonorde Wing Commander
Another, almost hidden behind his colleagues, is F/O. William Hector Stratto - later DFC. CBE. MiD. CB. Air Vice Marshal
The last in the line is F/O. Cyril Dampier Palmer - later DFC. Sq/Ldr.

Missing from the above group are three other notable officers and three leading NCO pilots.

1;F/O. Mark Henry Brown - later DFC. Wing Commander.
2; F/O. Peter Gerald Hugh Matthews - later DFC. Group Captain.
3; P/O. Peter Victor Boot - later DFC. Sq/Ldr.
4; The squadron's outstanding NCO pilot was Fl/Sgt Francis Joseph Soper - later DFM. DFC. Sq/Ldr
5; Fl/Sgt. Arthur Victor Clowes - later DFM. DFC. Sq/Ldr.
6; Fl/Sgt. Frederick George Berry - later - DFM. MiD.

Burial details:

None, Despite exhaustive searching by members of M.R.E.Unit his grave has never been 'positively' identified and consequently he is remembered on the Memorial at Runnymede.

F/O. Robert Laurie Lorimer. Runnymede Memorial; Panel 6. Also commemorated in Rockport School and in Campbell College.
Born on the 24th June 1914 in Cleveland, Johannesburg, South Africa. Son of George Hill Lorimer (died on the 29th May 1916) and Jane Lorimer (nee Lawrie - died on the 02nd June 1943, age 72), both originally from Ireland. After George Lorimer died, Jaie returned to Ireland from South Africa with her two children, Joan (died on the 10th July 1994) and Robert.

They lived at Craig Royston, Cultra and later in College Gardens, Belfast. Robert's sister Joan married Lieutenant Noel Montgomery Neely who served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War (aboard HMS Circe - killed on the 23rd April 1944).
Robert joined the RAF in 1936. Robert went to France with 85 Squadron and in 1940 he was with 1 Squadron in Fighter Command.

With thanks to the following for information supplied, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Peter Cornwell - 'Battle of France Then and Now', Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses' Vol. ?,

KTY Updated 26-07-2025

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