Jack Lawrence

Police Cadet, Toronto Police Department | Warrant Officer II, No. 243 Squadron Royal Air Force

Jack Lawrence was born in Toronto to parents John and Elsie Lawrence on the 25th of May, 1921. Raised in the city, Jack attended Northern Vocational School, and worked as a shipper. In April 1939, Lawrence became a Police Cadet with the Toronto Police Department, serving out of No. 1 Police Station (Court St). Lawrence lived with his parents and brother at 2475 Queen Street East.

On January 7th, 1941, at just 19 years old, Cadet Lawrence enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. He was selected for air crew training, where he excelled and completed rigorous training to become a fighter pilot. Lawrence rose to the rank of Flight Sergeant and in June 1942 was posted to No. 243 Squadron, Royal Air Force, during an operational pause. That November, he and his squadron sailed to Gibraltar, before moving into Algeria. Lawrence was assigned a Spitfire fighter plane and he and his squadron were tasked to support Anglo-American forces fighting German and Italian forces in Tunisia during the North Africa Campaign. In early January 1943, Lawrence began flying daily patrols and escort flights.

On the morning of January 30th, 1943, Lawrence flew out of Souk El Khemis, Algeria, along with six other Spitfires on a Tactical Reconnaissance mission to Tebourba, Tunisia. They discovered and strafed enemy ground troops but were afterwards intercepted by four German Messerschmidt-109 fighter planes. An aerial dogfight ensued – Lawrence’s first such encounter. During the air battle, two enemy aircraft were damaged but Lawrence was lost sight of and believed to be shot down. Never seen again, Lawrence was officially listed as missing and later officially presumed dead.

With no known grave, Police Cadet Jack Lawrence is commemorated at the Malta Memorial in Floriana, Malta

Research Sources:

  • D. Draper – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1943, Pages 17 and 26. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1944.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. R88685 Jack Lawrence.
  • National Archives [United Kingdom]. Operations Record Book of No. 243 Squadron, RAF.
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. R88685 Jack Lawrence.
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1941, September 6th), Page 7. “Toronto Airman Tops Class”.
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1943, March 10th), Page 5 . “Sgt Jack Lawrence is Reported Missing”.
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1943, March 10th), Page 11 . “14 Airmen in RCAF Presumed Dead”.
  • The Toronto Daily Star (1943, September 13th), Page 11 . “Long Branch Airman Missing”.