Laurie Wilmot DSO DFC SAAF Fighter Pilot and Wing Leader

Laurence 'Laurie' Wilmot (31 May 1914 – 13 December 1947) was a WW2 South African fighter pilot and Wing Leader in the Middle East Theatre, credited with 4 kills.

He joined the South African Air Force and in 1940 took command of 3 Squadron SAAF (crest shown above). He then moved to 1 Squadron SAAF, fighting in Eritrea. He was shot down in February 1941 and was captured. He was a POW until Eritrea fell to the Allies in April 1941. He returned to command 1 Squadron, who were in Egypt, on 30 June 1941. In November 1941 was appointed Commanding Officer of 2 Squadron, flying Tomahawks. He was awarded the DFC in December 1941. He was then posted to South Africa until June 1943. He was then posted to 322 Wing followed by 239 Wing. He was awarded a DSO in August 1944. After the war he commanded 7 Wing from July 1946.

After the war, he continued his career in the SAAF and commanded 7 Wing from July 1946. On June 26, 1947, he was killed in the crash of a Mosquito from 60 Squadron at Waterkloof.

In November 1941 he downed the Bf 109 of Hans-Eberhard Kuhnt over Sidi Omar in the Western Desert. This is recorded in the Kracker Luftwaffe Archive.

Italy. 23 May 1944. RAF P51 Mustang aircraft and SAAF and RAAF P40 Kittybomber of the Desert Air Force successfully attacked the great Pescara Dam on the Pescara River, by dive-bombing. The iron sluice gates were breached by Flight Sergeant Alexander Duguid of Dyce, near Aberdeen, and water immediately poured through the gap. Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Ken Richards, an Australian pilot of Warragul, Victoria, saw the bombs from his Kittybomber smash another break in the iron walls of the dam. Colonel Laurie Wilmot, the South African Commanding Officer, who led the attack, said, 'Upstream the dam emptied and we could see the stream narrowing, while below the sluices the water was running at high level'.

ROYAL AIR FORCE: ITALY, THE BALKANS AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE, 1944-1945. - Colonel L A Wilmot SAAF, Commanding Officer of No. 239 Wing RAF (centre), standing with two of his pilots at Cutella, south of Vasto, Italy, the day after leading the Wing on a highly successful strike to the Pescara River dam, which they destroyed with 500-lb bombs, and from which all aircraft returned safely. Standing with Colonel Wilmot are the pilots whose bombs first breached the dam walls; Flight Lieutenant K Richards of No. 3 Squadron RAAF (left), and Flight Sergeant A Duguid of No. 260 Squadron RAF (right) Royal Air Force, Wing, 239, Royal Air Force, 260 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 3 Squadron

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