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The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. R L York

 

Ronald Lewis York, from Weston Favell, Northants was born on 21st April 1920, the son of George Harold and Edith May York. His father was a shoe machine operator.

RL York was employed as a Port of London Authority Clerk when he joined the RAFVR about July 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot.

Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed his training and arrived at 7 OTU Hawarden on 2nd September 1940.

After converting to Spitfires, he joined 610 Squadron at Acklington on 23rd September. York went to 74 Squadron at Biggin Hill on 2nd December.

He was killed on 28th March 1942, as a Flight Sergeant with 57 OTU Hawarden. He was flying with a pupil in a brand-new Miles Master.

During spin training the main spar snapped at 8000 feet and the aircraft crashed. The pupil, Sgt. BE Hopkins, was also killed.

York was 22 and is buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul, Abington, Northampton.

 

 

 

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His brother, F/O Stanley Charles York, was the pilot of Beaufighter X LZ410 of 144 Squadron which failed to return from a sortie off Egersund, Norway on 24th March 1945.

York and his navigator F/O FL Burton were both killed and are buried in Sola cemetery, Norway.

SC York had worked as an iron foundry clerk. A third brother, Harold G York, is shown in the 1939 register as a certificated assistant teacher.


Battle of Britain Monument