Reginald John West

This story and photo is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Pete Colley, Curator, Wickenby Museum.

Remembering Reginald John West, Sgt, flight engineer, aged 26. Husband of Muriel West of 57 Ruskin Avenue, Lincoln. His son was 3 years old when Sgt West died and his wife was pregnant with his daughter. He was killed on his 2nd mission attacking Saintes.

They took off  at 22.20 hrs on the night of 23rd June but as they approached the target area a night fighter, piloted by Ofw. Hermann Stahler, raked their Lancaster with canon fire, sending it crashing into the sea off St Nazaire. They were posted as failed to return, nothing heard of since take off.

The Lincolnshire Echo of 31 January 1944 reveals some background to him when it published the news that he had received his wings as an Engineer Flight-Sergeant in the RAF. He attended the Leeke School and he had been employed at Messrs. Ruston and Hornsby. He had volunteered for the RAF in May 1943.