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Phillip (Phil) John Lamason DFC & Bar (15 September 1918 – 19 May 2012) was a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War, who rose to prominence as the senior officer in charge of 168 Allied airmen taken to Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, in August 1944. Raised in Napier, he joined the RNZAF in September 1940, and by April 1942 was a pilot officer serving with the Royal Air Force in Europe. On 8 June 1944, Lamason was in command of a Lancaster heavy bomber that was shot down during a raid on railway marshalling yards near Paris. Bailing out, he was picked up by members of the French Resistance and hidden at various locations for seven weeks. While attempting to reach Spain along the Comet line, Lamason was double-crossed by a traitor within the Resistance and handed over to the Gestapo. After interrogation, he was taken to Fresnes prison. Classified as a "Terrorflieger" (terror flier), he was not accorded prisoner-of-war (POW) status, but instead treated as a criminal and spy. By 15 August 1944, Lamason was senior officer of a group of 168 captured Allied airmen who were taken by train to Buchenwald concentration camp, arriving there five days later. At Buchenwald, the airmen were fully shaved, starved, denied shoes, and for three weeks forced to sleep outside without shelter in one of the sub-camps known as "Little Camp". As senior officer, Lamason took control and instilled a level of military discipline and bearing. For several weeks Lamason negotiated with the camp authorities to have the airmen transferred to a POW camp, but his requests were denied. At great risk, Lamason secretly got word to the Luftwaffe of the Allied airmen's captivity and, seven days before their scheduled execution, 156 of the 168 prisoners were transferred to Stalag Luft III. Most of the airmen credit their survival at Buchenwald to the leadership and determination of Lamason. After the war, he moved to Dannevirke and became a farmer until his retirement. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was a regular speaker at KLB Club and POW reunions. ==Early career== Lamason was born and raised in Napier, a city in New Zealand's North Island, on 15 September 1918.〔Thompson, H. L. (1953). (''New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force. (Vol. 1)'' ). Published by War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs, Wellington. .〕 He was educated at Napier Boys' High School and Massey University (Palmerston North campus) where he was awarded a Diploma in Sheepfarming.〔(Massey College: Diplomas and Prizes ). New Zealand Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1937, Page 7. Retrieved 2012-05-06.〕 During this period, Lamason described himself as "a bit of a ratbag".〔(Anzac Day: From teen ratbag to hero ) (April 25, 2012). ''Hawke's Bay Today''. Retrieved 2012-05-02〕 Prior to the war, he worked for the Department of Agriculture at New Plymouth as a stock inspector.〔(AWARD OF BAR TO D.F.C ). Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 31, 5 August 1944, Page 6. Retrieved 2011-04-26.〕 It was there Lamason took the opportunity of free flying lessons, clocking up 100 hours.〔 He was described as a tall, good-looking man with blue eyes and a broken nose.〔Burgess, Colin (1995). (''Destination Buchenwald'' ). Published by Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst NSW. . ISBN 0-86417-733-X.〕〔 Lamason joined the RNZAF in September 1940. By April 1942, he had been posted to the European theatre of operations as a pilot officer in No. 218 Squadron RAF. During a bombing raid on Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, he was in command of an aircraft that was attacked by an enemy fighter and badly damaged, but managed to return to base. As a result of his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 15 May 1942.〔(Skill and Gallantry ). Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 6. Retrieved 2011-05-26.〕 The citation read: After his first tour ended flying Stirlings with 218 Squadron, Lamason then instructed other pilots at 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit.〔 Returning to operations with No. 15 Squadron RAF, Lamason was twice Mentioned in Despatches, first on 2 June 1943 and again, having received promotion to acting squadron leader, on 14 January 1944. He was awarded a Bar to his DFC on 27 June 1944, for "courage and devotion to duty of a high order" and "vigorous determination" in attacks on Berlin and other heavily-defended targets.〔〔 Lamason was presented his award after the war by King George VI at Buckingham Palace, where he met and befriended a young Princess Elizabeth, later to be queen.〔Chatterton, Tracey (May 26, 2012). (War hero had 'core of steel' ). The Dominion Post. Retrieved 2012-05-26.〕〔 A day after making an emergency landing at an American base in England, Lamason was introduced to, shook hands and spoke with Clark Gable.〔 Lamason was not afraid to speak his mind. On the night of 30/31 March 1944, when 795 bombers were sent to attack Nuremberg, he was very critical of the route chosen, warning his station commander that heavy losses could be expected.〔〔(Squadron Leader Phil Lamason ) (June 1, 2012). Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 2012-06-01.〕 On the moonlit night, 95 bombers were lost, its heaviest losses of the entire war during a single raid.〔(RAF Timeline 1944 ). Royal Air Force. Retrieved 2012-06-17.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Phil Lamason」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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