William Reid (VC), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

William Reid (VC)

Recipient of the Victoria Cross

Date of Birth: 21-Dec-1921

Place of Birth: Baillieston, Scotland, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 28-Nov-2001

Profession: aircraft pilot

Nationality: United Kingdom

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

William Reid VC (21 December 1921 – 28 November 2001) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He earned his Victoria Cross as a pilot in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during the Second World War. Born in Baillieston, Lanarkshire, he applied to join the RAF on the outbreak of war.
After initial training, he was selected as a bomber pilot, and soon became a flying instructor himself.
He was eventually given an operational posting, flying several raids before that on Düsseldorf which led to the award of the VC.
On a later raid he was shot down and became a prisoner of war in Germany.
He left the RAF after the war, and worked in the agricultural industry. On 19 November 2009 his VC was sold at auction for £384,000, a record for a VC awarded to a recipient from the United Kingdom.