The unclued lights, when paired, are of a kind, the first word in each pair being thematic. Two of the unclued lights, one of which is plural, do double duty. One pair has a literary reference, too.
Across
5 Cross as a sign (6)
10 I left millionaire mixing petroleum distillate (10, two words)
16 What may be caught with a rod — a rod (5)
17 Strips, rubs gently and beats (7)
18 Pipe second carol outside Kings (7)
20 Those assailing verbally about to take on loathsome heartless rebels (8)
25 Just a bit of cement added (3)
26 Run faster than dismissal speed? (7)
28 Works with new director on mathematical quantity (7)
29 Island’s small businesses (3)
34 Wrecked automobile union’s leader left miles away in Central Greece (7)
36 Bad South American evading courts in Californian city (7)
40 Get comfy again as a colonist? (8)
41 US actress starts killing after interval (6)
42 Some cost in changing financial experts (10)
43 Pound dispatched by agreement (6)
44 Bernstein’s story of bridge player by bank (8, two words)
Down
1 French worker’s garment from old car firm on river (6)
2 Transfer and allow deliveries (8, two words)
3 Male hawk close to chancel after 9am prayers (6)
4 Experts in diving sickness (5)
6 Ferry from Romania, twice (4, hyphened)
7 Boycott promotional leaflet promoting extortionist (11)
9 Plants Brideshead family endlessly criticises (8)
15 Lady’s fingers look ravishing to some extent (4)
16 Exits before poor rep with losses runs out (11)
19 Con artist regularly provides pastoral songs (4)
21 Old tales of undoubted daring (4)
23 Penitential garment carried by saint, to wit (8)
24 Northern Italian in banking street (7)
27 Warms up prior to eliminating rounds (8)
31 Former BBC DG upset tribunal.
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