The Airmen's Stories - P/O A F Y Lees

Alan Farquhar Young Lees, of Glasgow, joined the RAFVR in April 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot and did his weekend flying at 12 E&RFTS Prestwick. Lees was called up on 1st September 1939 and in November he went to 3 ITW at Hastings.

In January 1940 he was posted to 3 EFTS Hamble, afterwards moving on to 14 FTS Kinloss and later Cranfield for No. 6 Course, which ran from 25th March to 11th July 1940.

Lees was commissioned and arrived at 5 OTU Aston Down on 13th July. He converted to Blenheims and joined 236 Squadron at Thorney Island on 5th August. He flew with the squadron in the Battle of Britain.

He married Agnes Adams in early 1941 in Newton Abbot.

Lees was awarded the DFC (gazetted 27th October 1941).

On 27th December 1941 he flew a Beaufighter in the Maaloy/Vaagso commando raid and shot down a He111, his second victory.

In June 1942 Lees was posted to staff duties at HQ Coastal Command. In July he was a passenger in Walrus L2179 which landed on Gareloch, Scotland with its wheels down. The aircraft crashed, one crew member was killed and Lees suffered severe concussion. He was in a head-injuries hospital in Oxford for several months and did not return to operations.

In 1943 and 1944 he instructed at RAF Leuchars and East Fortune.

In 1945 Lees suffered severe back pains and it was found that he had suffered broken vertebrae in the Walrus crash. He had an operation in December and was invalided out of the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.

Lees died on 27th October 1987.