"Ian Grant Henderson was born in 1922 in Lockerbie to Thomas and Lilias (nee Marchbank). Ian was the youngest of three children and the only son, his elder sisters being Marjory and Elizabeth. He attended Fettes for his secondary schooling and was destined to follow his father into the family legal firm. Like so many of his generation his studies were interrupted by war. He joined the RAF in 1943 and was posted to Bomber Command. He undertook his training in the UK and then Canada. Most aircrew were tested for pilot training but Ian reported that he was prone to bring the aircraft down so hard that he punctured the tyres. Following this he trained as a navigator. In 1944 he started the series of sorties that all aircrew in Bomber command had to complete before they were stood down for a rest. A tour normally consisted of 30 sorties but Ian’s crew did 31. Many crews did not survive their first tour. Reading his log, one is struck by how dangerous it was even towards the end of the war owing to radar-controlled flak and night fighters. There were other dangers from his own side, such as collisions in the huge bomber formations which were quite common by that stage of the war. During his sorties he was a Flight Sergeant but he was commissioned shortly afterwards. For his courage he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. Ian survived his tour of duty and, soon after, peace in Europe was declared. After the war he completed his legal studies in Edinburgh University and joined his father as a lawyer practicing in Lockerbie – his father had founded Henderson & Mackay as a young man." www.scotsman.com/news/people/obituary-ian-g-henderson-solicitor-wartime-bomber-command-navigator-company-director-and-secretary-1-4937013
