Manning Lee Lawrence born 03 July 1921, Burbank CA. Earned his wings as a bombardier in class 42-17 in Victorville AAF 12 December 1942 (photograph from the Class book).

He was assigned to 365th Bomb Squadron as part of the Olmstead crew, arriving on 02 June 1943. (This crew was to become the Kane (co-pilot) crew when Olmstead was shot down and POW on his first mission to Bremen with the Higgs crew on 13 June 1943).

From information shared by the FB Group members, it appears Lawrence flew 22 missions from 25 June 1943 with the Kane crew (although Kane not first pilot until 29 July 1943).

On the well documented incident on the mission to Keil 29 July 1943, Lawrence is credited with shooting down an enemy aircraft in defence of his ship which Kane, in his diary, describes as a FW190 which “…our bombardier shot him (out) of the sky.”

Lawrence’s 23rd mission was Second Schweinfurt and he was assigned to the Bullock crew as Bombardier since Kane was now a lead crew pilot and took the Group bombardier.



Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 #42-37740. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW



Lawrence was discharged as a Captain on 26th January 1946. He was married to Beverly Snider (Red Cross staff assistant) in March 1946.



He died on 19 December 1964 and is buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery.