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383:. A section of the Lancaster's starboard tailplane had also been shot away. Reid again decided to carry on, saying later in an interview that his main reason for pressing on was that turning back would have involved flying through or across the following bomber stream, with the danger of mid-air collision.
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During the fight with the
Messerschmitt, Flight Lieutenant Reid was wounded in the head, shoulders and hands. The elevator trimming tabs of the aircraft were damaged and it became difficult to control. The rear turret, too, was badly damaged and the communications system and compasses were put out of
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Wounded in two attacks, without oxygen, suffering severely from cold, his navigator dead, his wireless operator fatally wounded, his aircraft crippled and defenceless, Flight
Lieutenant Reid showed superb courage and leadership in penetrating a further 200 miles into enemy territory to attack one of
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William Reid died at the age of 79 on 28 November 2001, survived by his wife and their two children. On 19 November 2009, his VC was sold at an auction by medal specialists Spink. It went to an anonymous bidder for ÂŁ384,000, a record for a VC awarded to someone from the United
Kingdom. The bidder
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The North Sea crossing was accomplished. An airfield was sighted. The captain revived, resumed control and made ready to land. Ground mist partially obscured the runway lights. The captain was also much bothered by blood from his head wound getting into his eyes. But he made a safe landing although
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Steering by the pole star and the moon, Flight
Lieutenant Reid then set course for home. He was growing weak from loss of blood. The emergency oxygen supply had given out. With the windscreen shattered, the cold was intense. He lapsed into semiconsciousness. The flight engineer, with some help from
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Flight
Lieutenant Reid refused to be turned from his objective and Dusseldorf was reached some 50 minutes later. He had memorised his course to the target and had continued in such a normal manner that the bomb-aimer, who was cut off by the failure of the communications system, knew nothing of his
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Shortly after crossing the Dutch coast, the pilot's windscreen was shattered by fire from a
Messerschmitt 110. Owing to a failure in the heating circuit, the rear gunner's hands were too cold for him to open fire immediately or to operate his microphone and so give warning of danger; but after a
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Soon afterwards, the
Lancaster was attacked by a Focke-Wulf 190. This time, the enemy's fire raked the bomber from stem to stern. The rear gunner replied with his only serviceable gun but the state of his turret made accurate aiming impossible. The navigator was killed and the wireless operator
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As members of his crew scrambled out, the plane went into a dive, pinning Reid to his seat. Reaching overhead, he managed to release the escape hatch panel and struggled out just as the
Lancaster broke in two. He landed heavily by parachute, breaking his arm in the fall. Within an hour he was
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Born in
Baillieston, Lanarkshire, he applied to join the RAF on the outbreak of war. After initial training, he was selected as a bomber pilot, and soon became a flying instructor himself. He was eventually given an operational posting, flying several raids before that on
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Despite his wounds and loss of blood, Reid successfully landed his plane, though its damaged undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft slid along the runway. The wireless operator died in
Shipdham's medical centre but five of the crew survived.
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fatally injured. The mid-upper turret was hit and the oxygen system put out of action. Flight Lieutenant Reid was again wounded and the flight engineer, though hit in the forearm, supplied him with oxygen from a portable supply.
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in 1949, he went on a travelling scholarship for six months, studying agriculture in India, Australia, New Zealand, America and Canada. He retained a reserve commission until 15 January 1949.
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the most strongly defended targets in Germany, every additional mile increasing the hazards of the long and perilous journey home. His tenacity and devotion to duty were beyond praise.
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which led to the award of the VC. On a later raid he was shot down and became a prisoner of war in Germany. He left the RAF after the war, and worked in the agricultural industry.
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On the night of 3 November 1943, while still underway to the target area in DĂĽsseldorf, the windscreen of Reid's Lancaster (serial LM360) was shattered by rounds from an attacking
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Reaching the target, Reid released his bomb load and set course for home. Plotting a course back to Syerston, without a navigator, Reid gratefully noticed the searchlights of
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night fighter, badly damaging the cockpit and rear gun turret. In spite of multiple injuries Reid continued on his mission, though was again attacked shortly afterwards by a
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In 1950, he became an agricultural adviser to the MacRobert Trust, Douneside. From 1959 to his retirement in 1981, he was an adviser to a firm of animal feed manufacturers.
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captain's injuries or of the casualties to his comrades. Photographs show that, when the bombs were released, the aircraft was right over the centre of the target.
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578:"Bill Reid, VC—Bomber pilot who nursed his badly damaged Lancaster back to base, steering by moon and stars when his navigator was killed by machinegun fire"
762:"British bomber pilot's Victoria Cross sold for record price—Medal presented to Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid sets £348,000 record for VC awarded to a Briton"
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action. Flight Lieutenant Reid ascertained that his crew were unscathed and, saying nothing about his own injuries, he continued his mission.
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The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the undermentioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery: —
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in episode 12, "Whirlwind – Bombing Germany (September 1939 – April 1944)", of the acclaimed 1973-74 British documentary television series,
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On the night of November 3rd, 1943, Flight Lieutenant Reid was pilot and captain of a Lancaster aircraft detailed to attack Dusseldorf.
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in January 1944 and flew sorties to various targets in France. He was promoted to substantive flight lieutenant on 14 June 1944.
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On 19 November 2009 his VC was sold at auction for ÂŁ384,000, a record for a VC awarded to a recipient from the United Kingdom.
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was later revealed to be Melissa John, in memory of her late brother, and that she had outbid the buyers acting for
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the bomb-aimer, kept the Lancaster in the air despite heavy anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast.
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Acting Flight Lieutenant William REID (124438), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 61 Squadron.
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Reid is interviewed and provides a vivid description of the mission for which he was awarded the
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Reid married Violet Campbell Gallagher, a daughter of William Gallagher, sports editor of the
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captured by a German patrol and taken prisoner. After various transfers, he ended the war in
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The posting did not materialise until July 1943, when he was sent to 1654 Conversion Unit,
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in 1952. She was reportedly unaware that he was a VC holder until they were married.
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deep penetration bomb attack on a V-weapon storage dump at Rilly-la-Montagne, near
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brief delay he managed to return the Messerschmitt's fire and it was driven off.
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Reid was awarded the VC on 14 December 1943, with the citation reading:
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one leg of the damaged undercarriage collapsed when the load came on.
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Reid was demobilised in 1946 and resumed his studies, first at the
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for a time, but then applied to join the RAF. After training in
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On 31 July 1944, 617 Squadron was linked with 9 Squadron for a
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Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
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forces. He earned his Victoria Cross as a pilot in the
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British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
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211:(21 December 1921 – 28 November 2001) was a
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634:(Supplement). 12 January 1943. pp. 334–335.
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379:. Reid himself was further wounded, as was the
712:(Supplement). 4 July 1944. pp. 3180–3181.
955:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
692:(Supplement). 10 December 1943. p. 5435.
309:, albeit with the promise of a posting to an
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750:(Supplement). 26 April 1949. p. 2039.
648:, Thames Television documentary (1973–74).
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660:Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War
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313:heavy bomber unit. He was promoted to
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614:. 21 August 1942. pp. 3711–3712.
505:West of Scotland Agricultural College
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915:Alumni of the University of Glasgow
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970:Alumni of Scotland's Rural College
920:British World War II bomber pilots
840:The Register of the Victoria Cross
406:Air Ministry, 14th December, 1943.
277:, he received his wings and was a
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287:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
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794:"Gallantry is a finite resource"
336:. In September he was posted to
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16:Recipient of the Victoria Cross
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885:Imperial War Museum Interview
507:. After graduating from the
847:Scotland's Forgotten Valour
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824:British VCs of World War 2
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299:Operational Training Unit
257:William Reid was born in
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930:Royal Air Force officers
662:. Newbury: Countryside.
455:617 (Dambuster) Squadron
910:People from Baillieston
658:Smith, Graham (1994).
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509:University of Glasgow
501:University of Glasgow
317:on 19 December 1942.
297:before moving to the
138:Years of service
843:(This England, 1997)
835:(David Harvey, 1999)
832:Monuments to Courage
542:Glasgow Daily Record
369:Messerschmitt Bf 110
285:on probation in the
168:No. 617 Squadron RAF
19:For other uses, see
849:(Graham Ross, 1995)
827:(John Laffin, 1997)
303:RAF North Luffenham
163:No. 61 Squadron RAF
950:Shot-down aviators
800:. 10 February 2010
774:. 19 November 2009
747:The London Gazette
709:The London Gazette
689:The London Gazette
631:The London Gazette
611:The London Gazette
586:. 29 November 2001
307:Vickers Wellington
772:Press Association
503:and later at the
377:wireless operator
373:Focke-Wulf Fw 190
358:flight lieutenant
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804:31 December
778:20 November
742:"No. 38593"
723:Record for
704:"No. 36597"
684:"No. 36285"
644:Interview,
626:"No. 35864"
606:"No. 35678"
590:20 November
515:Later years
485:Luckenwalde
338:61 Squadron
322:RAF Wigsley
259:Baillieston
234:during the
60:Baillieston
894:Categories
669:1853063207
561:References
487:, west of
352:DĂĽsseldorf
346:DĂĽsseldorf
330:9 Squadron
271:metallurgy
267:blacksmith
253:Early life
244:DĂĽsseldorf
100:Allegiance
84:Perthshire
53:1921-12-21
583:The Times
466:"Tallboy"
141:1940–1949
495:Post war
483:camp at
279:sergeant
213:Scottish
118:Service/
817:Sources
392:Norfolk
362:Germany
324:, near
263:Glasgow
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275:Canada
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