The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. W H Banks

William Henry Banks was born on 14th October 1916 in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and joined the RAF in February 1936 as an Aircrafthand. He later applied for pilot training, learned to fly at 9 E&RFTS and was serving with 245 Squadron early in 1940.

He flew with the squadron on patrols over Dunkirk and on 14th June 1940 his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire on a patrol over France.

Banks was attached to 32 Squadron at Acklington on 19th September 1940 but five days later he moved to 504 Squadron at Filton. On the 30th of the month he made a forced-landing in Hurricane P3774 following a combat over the Yeovil area.

Commissioned in October 1941, his subsequent service is undocumented but it is known that Banks remained in the RAF after the war, retiring on 30th May 1958 as a Squadron Leader.

He died on 16th January 1980 in Birmingham.