Alfred Lammer Squadron Leader Alfred Lammer DFC and Bar ( 28 November 1909 – 4 October 2000 ) was an Austrian - born pilot who flew with the Royal Air Force in World War II . He flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940 , thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939 – 45 campaign star . On the official Royal Air Force list of Battle of Britain combatants he is recorded as being " stateless " . In later life he became an renowned photographer and teacher . Early life . Born Alfred Ritter von Lammer in Linz , Austria , he was the son of a retired railway official and mother who ran both a travel shop and bank . Living near the Zell am See , Salzburg he became adept at rock climbing and skiing . He attended universities in Munich and Innsbruck , and in 1933 joined the anti - Nazi Heimatschutz and Schutzcorps . Leaving Austria for London in 1934 he worked ( using his mother ' s contacts ) for the Austrian Travel Bureau . When Nazi Germany instigated high taxes in tourists entering Germany from Austria his mother ' s firm collapsed . He took up photography , an interest that became a career later in his life . Second World War . With the declaration of war in September 1939 , Lammer found himself to be stateless and classified as a " friendly enemy alien " . He did not become a British citizen until 22 May 1941 . He applied to join the RAF , and passing the medical was granted an emergency commission in March 1940 , for training as an Air Gunner . After initial training in Loughborough , Lammer went on a gunnery course at 9 BGS , Penrhos in April 1940 . He joined No . 254 Squadron at Bircham Newton on 4 May and was then attached to 206 Squadron ( Coastal Command ) , flying in Hudsons on convoy escort duty . In early July 1940 Lammer was posted to 5 OTU , Aston Down , and converted to Defiants before joining 141 Squadron at Prestwick . Lammer retrained as a Navigator and was posted to No . 409 ( RCAF ) Squadron on Beaufighters at Coleby Grange in November 1941 . He went to No . 255 Squadron at Coltishall in February 1942 as Navigation Leader . The squadron flew to Gibraltar on 14 November and to Algiers the next day . Lammer assisted in the destruction of a He - 111 and two Cant Z 1007 ' s on 6 December , flying with S / L JH Player . On 15 December and 17 December two Ju88 ' s were destroyed , flying with W / C DPDG Kelly . Lammer was awarded the DFC on 16 February 1943 . With his tour completed , Lammer returned to the UK and was posted as Squadron Leader i / c Radar and Navigation at 62 OTU , Ouston in September 1943 . He was awarded a Bar to the DFC on 29 October 1943 . He spent the rest of the war as a radio navigator instructor at RAF Charter Hall . Post war career . After being demobilised from the RAF Lammer again turned to photography and joined Studio Briggs before going freelance in 1946 . He also took up teaching posts at the Guildford School of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London . In the late 1950s he was the staff photographer at the Council of Industrial Design and continued to teach at Guildford School of Art . He retired in 1976 but continued to take photographs , especially of flowers in their natural environment and of stained glass .