Staff Sergeant Douglas J Lawton

Staff Sergeant Douglas James Lawton was the adopted son of Patrick and Margaret Smith, of Loanhead, Midlothian. He served with the 1st Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment. Although unconfirmed, it is likely that he may taken part in the glider insertions to North West Europe in June 1944. He was amongst a party of Glider Pilots en-route to India in December 1944.

Staff Sergeant Lawton died on 5 December 1944, aged 26 years old when Dakota FL588 from 24 Squadron RAF Transport Command, based at RAF Hendon, crashed on a snowy ridge in Ariege, near Mijanes in the Pyrenees, Southern France. 23 Airmen were onboard, 20 of which belonged to the GPR. Fifteen other men onboard died as a result of the crash. He is now buried in the Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles.

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