Colonel LPT Eagar
Larry Eagar
- Rank
- Captain
- Later rank
- Colonel
- Honours
- DFC; American DFC, Air Medal and two Clusters
- Squadron
- No 183 and No 164 Squadrons, RAF
- School
- King Edward VII School
- 1943 voyage
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Sailed from Cape Town on the Rangitata in September 1943, and signed the group photograph taken in Montevideo on the way.
The story of the photograph
- Fate
- Survived the war. Died 1975
- In the book
- Pages 138, 140, 153
Stories that mention him
- The author’s father, from Typhoons to KoreaA Journey of Discovery
From the book
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
Several participated in the BBC Africa shortwave’s weekly programme “Song time in the Laager” broadcast from London. The airmen in the top image from the left, McGregor, Begbie, Howes, Eagar all former King Edwards pupils in Johannesburg sailed on the “Rangitata” with another former pupil all of whom signed the mounting. That photograph and two others including Lt’s IF Watson, Meyer, Higgins and Quick from the Transvaal appeared in an English magazine in May 1944. 2nd Lt Tony Collett and Naval servicemen in the bottom image were from the Eastern Cape.
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
Seconded South Africans, Bodley, Drew, Eagar, Goodman, Hill, Lens and Meek flew No 183 Squadron Hawker Typhoons. This October 1944 photograph was taken at B67 Ursel a temporary airfield in Belgium. The Typhoon to the left JR390 became part of RAF Little Staughton’s Station Flight and was lost in October 1945 when Group Captain John Jeudwine the station commander and former bomber pilot, was killed flying the aircraft having no experience on the type.
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
No. 164 Squadron was a paid for by the British community living in Argentina.Captain LPT Eagar the only seconded SAAF airman on the squadron seated 3rd left first served with No 183 Squadron
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
On November 21st, 1945, twenty-seven months after sailing out of Cape Town on the “Rangitata” Captain’s Howes, Eagar and three unidentified airmen from their seconded group disembarked from the “Ille de France” in Cape Town after a home voyage with no convey escort or threat of a U Boat’s torpedoes but enough time to reflect on events and remember the pilots in their group who had lost their lives.
A Journey of Discovery
No 183 Squadron’s “Operations Record Book” lists that as the first of four sorties flown that day and identifies Lt TV Drew and Captain LPT Eagar were involved in that sortie. Five others on the squadron, Lt EW Bodley, Lt BE Goodman, Lt AG Hill, Captain A Lens and Captain TA Meek flew sorties that day. The seven, sailed from Cape Town on the “Rangitata” and had signed the photograph mounting. Lens and Hill lost their lives on February 22nd 1945.