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West, Robert William. PltOff. RAFVR Wo/Ag. 75 Sqn. 21 Mar 1945.

He was mentioned in dispatches on June 8th 1944 for distinguished service. He joined the Volunteer Reserve at the age of 18 and had completed one tour of operations {30 missions} before being reported as missing in action over the Western Front. The son of Robert William and Lilian West. Aged 22.
These daylight attacks on the Rhine and Munster, by a medium force of 178 and 160 aircraft respectfully, were aimed at both the town areas and the attendant railway yards and viaduct. With their proximity to the embattled Wermacht, still in a state of confusion following the Allies crossing of the Rhine, the raids were vital to the hindrance of enemy reinforcements towards the Ruhr.
They were also accompanied by 300 - 400 fighter planes, which included some Mustangs. When this main group got to Dusseldorf in Germany they split up and one group went on to bomb the canals and U-boat pens, whilst the other went on to Muster to bomb the railways sidings and viaducts.
The aim of the mission was to destroy the Germans moral and stop their resistance and to create a diversion for Gerneral Patton's ground forces, who were entering German soil.
In the raid one 51 Squadron Halifax was lost over the Rhine and three 75 Squadron Lancaster鈥檚 over Munster. The total loss of life was 16 killed in action, 8 POW and one crewmember evaded capture.
On this raid, the crew of Lancaster MkI RA564 took off at 0947 hours from Mapal airfield in Cambridgeshire to bomb railway yards and nearby viaducts at Munster and crashed in the target area. The body of Warrant Officer Amos was found and taken to Holland for burial at Margraten. His remains have since been exhumed and transferred to Venray War Cemetery. His six companions have no known grave.
In a desperate appeal for confirmation of their sudden loss, the family of Robert West contacted their Member of Parliament, who emphasised that their was only an indirect clue. The Missing Research and Enquiry service had received information that; 鈥淎 Frenchman deported to Germany and living in Munich at the time has said he saw an aircraft crash. He produced the identity disc of Sergeant Stocker, the flight engineer, which he says he took from the pocket of a piece of battle dress. He was of the opinion that all the crew were killed, but saw only five bodies. The body of Warrant Officer Amos was recovered on May 5th 1945 by the R.A.F. Police detachment at Munster. No trace of the remainder of the crew was ever discovered.

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