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Alec Cranswick enlisted in the Royal Air Force in July 1939 and went on to earn the distinction of having flown, as a heavy bomber pilot, the largest number of operations during the Second World War. (Leonard Cheshire VC completed 102, and squadron records show Squadron Leader John Burt DSO DFC*, a pilot with Mosquito-equppied 109 Squadron, completing an unequalled 104 ops on Oboe target- marking ops (as did his navigator, Squadron Leader Ron Curtis DSO DFC*, who joined No 109 Squadron PFF in mid 1943 as a Navigator. He had completed 30 operations with No 44 Squadron and went on to complete 104 operations with No 109 Squadron -a staggering 139 operations in Hampden, Lancaster and Mosquito aircraft)

Early Life
Cranswick was born on 7 September 1919, the only son of Philip and May Cranswick. His father, an RAF pilot, was killed when two single-seater aircraft collided in June 1928 while practising for the annual RAF Display at Hendon.

Educated at New College Preparatory School Oxford, and St Edward’s School, Oxford (where Douglas Bader and Guy Gibson were among its pupils),

RAF Career
A slight man who spent some of his wartime service suffering the effects of malaria, Cranswick trained at Number 7 EFTS, Desford, and 10 FTS, Tern Hill. After final training at Number 11 OTU, Bassingbourn he flew his first tour of 29 operations with No. 214 Squadron based at Stradishall, starting in June 1940.

Not wanting to be rested, he volunteered for service in the Middle East. He also served in a role as a ferry pilot in West Africa, before a flying total of 32 bombing operations with 148 Squadron on Wellingtons operating from Luqa on Malta.

He returned to Europe with the Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded in April 1942) and after a brief spell with 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit, Leeming joined No. 419 (Moose) Squadron, based at Middleton St George, converting to the Handley Page Halifax at the end of 1942. He was awarded the DSO in July 1943.

After 5 operations with 419, he then volunteered for the Pathfinder Force, serving with No. 35 Squadron from October 1943. Upon completion of his third tour he was then rested, serving on the staff of the Pathfinder Force HQ, at Wyton. He returned to operational duties for an unprecedented fourth tour in April 1944.

Alec Cranswick married Valerie Parr, who was serving in the WAAF as a teleprinter operator at Path Finder Force HQ, on 14 April 1944, at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton. They had one son, born after his father’s death.

Piloting Avro Lancaster bomber ND 846 of No 35 Squadron, on his 40th bombing operation with the squadron (and his 107th overall), Squadron Leader Alec Cranswick failed to return on the night of 4/5 July 1944.

At 01:36 hours on 5 July 1944 Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Leutnant August Fischer 8./NJG 2 claimed a four-motor aircraft over the southern outskirts of Paris. It came down at Villecresnes ‘within seconds of releasing its target indicators’. Cranswick was among the seven of the eight on board who lost their lives.

Bomber Command had lost an airman described by Pathfinder Force Commander Air Vice-Marshal Donald Bennett, as `so simply courageous and so selfless in sacrifice.'

In 1962 Michael Cumming's account of the story of Cranswick came to the attention of the public with the release of his book 'Pathfinder Cranswick'.

List of victories
Pattle was provisionally credited with 50 air victories (and two shared), seven ( and one shared) probable victories, and 4 ( and 2 shared ) damaged.

List of victories
Beurling was provisionally credited with 31 air victories destroyed (and one third shared destroyed), and 9 damaged.