A Ruddy Awful Waste

A RUDDY AWFUL WASTE

FLT LT ERIC LOCK DSO, DFC & BAR; THE BRIEF LIFE OF A BATTLE OF BRITAIN FIGHTER ACE

AN INTRODUCTION

A detailed biography of Flt Lt Eric Lock DSO DFC and Bar is long overdue.

As the author of two volumes of 41 (F) Squadron’s World War II history, in which he studied the lives of all 325 of the unit’s World War II pilots, Steve Brew is a firm believer that understanding a serviceman’s life is not just a matter of recording a list of his postings, promotions, incidents, and victories in isolation. It is also not a matter of placing genealogical data in chronological sequence, but rather a matter of adding order and context to raw facts.

Moreover, it is a study of the people around him and the people he shared his day with. It is also a study of the events going on around him or in the news that dominated the discussions he had with his contemporaries, and it is a study of the operations and combats he was involved in, which affected his life, thinking and being, and determined both his and his family’s future lives. It is a matter of placing his life, career, and actions into context, painting them in the larger picture, and showing how he affected others’ lives and they affected his.

Eric Lock was a man who made an impact and left a legacy. Since his death in August 1941, his family have dealt with the fallout of that event and witnessed the emergence of a form of legendary status. They have now come together, seventy-five years later, to share facets of his story that only they know, and to provide an insight into Eric – the man behind the legend – as never before. This has been made possible by drawing together memories, stories, letters, newspaper reports, and photographs from his extended family. Many of the family have remained hidden from public view as a result of not bearing the Lock surname, but this lack of visibility should not be misconstrued: they are fiercely proud of their legacy, and it is their support and encouragement that has made this work possible.

The extended family wanted his story to be told fully and truthfully, without bravado, but with the respect due to an airman of the Royal Air Force who was not only a fighter Ace and a national hero, but also someone who paid the ultimate price in performing his duty. This has also been Brew's aim, and it is therefore hoped that this work will provide a definitive record of the short life of this brave young man, and cement his place as one of Britain’s true national heroes.