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F/O John "Jackie" Reid DFM
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve A Flight 605 Sqdn.
from:Hemel Hempstead
(d.26th June 1944)
My uncle John (Jackie) Reid, RAFVR, served at 12 AFU between 25th May 1943 and 2nd August 1943. This was where he was posted after 271 Sqdn, and from 12 AFU, he went to 60 OTU to do a conversion on Mosquitos, then from there to 605 Sqdn till 26th October. He and his Observer, Sgt Ray Phillips, were killed on 26th June 1944 while on a NFT over Margate. His aircraft, NS880, exploded and crashed in flames over the main up/down London railway line. He had been promoted to Flt Lt a couple of days before his death, but had yet to receive notice of it.
It transpires that on 5th/6th June 1944, he and two other 605 Mosquitos were over the Caen area, taking out searchlights and AA guns, (obviously before the para landings) at 0011hrs on the 6th, where his aircraft dropped the first bomb on D Day. He was extremely proud of that. This was confirmed in his logbook by his Intelligence Officer.
