Peter Ernest Rushton

This story and photo is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Adrian Hughes, Home Front Museum, Llandudno

After attending John Bright Grammar School, Llandudno, Peter volunteered for the Royal Air Force and trained as a pilot. He served with 69 Squadron flying specially equipped Wellington bombers for night reconnaissance duties. They used flares to locate and mark the positions of enemy troops.

Rushton flew many sorties over Normandy, including one on D-Day (6 June 1944), his cameras capturing vital intelligence. On 7th July 1944 while flying a mission in the vicinity of Quilleboeuf his Wellington was intercepted by a Luftwaffe fighter but Rushton and his crew managed to evade the enemy aircraft and get back to their base. However, on 25th July 1944 Peter Rushton was killed when his aircraft crashed at St. Jean d'Elbeuf about 10 miles southwest of Rouen. He is buried at Bayeux War Cemetery with the other three members of his crew.