Heroic story of Glasgow airman behind record-breaking £348K Victoria Cross

Nov 26 2009 By Tristan Stewart-Robertson

A VICTORIA Cross that sold for a world record of s348,000 belonged to one of Glasgow's greatest war heroes.

An anonymous bidder paid the whopping sum for a collection of honours for Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid's service to the nation.

Son of a Baillieston blacksmith, Flt Lt Reid was awarded the VC - Britain's highest gallantry prize - for his incredible courage during a raid over Germany in 1942.

Aged just 21, he continued on his RAF mission despite wounds to his head, shoulders and hands and in a plane left defenceless by damage.

Flt Lt Reid died in 2001 aged 79 and is remembered as a hero to the country. In his home city, a plaque to his memory was unveiled earlier this year.

Lord Provost Bob Winter said: "I have no doubt Bill Reid's heroism played a huge part in his medal attracting a record-breaking price. The bravery of this Baillieston man has become the stuff of legend. It's great that his courage has been so widely recognised."

In November 1943, Flt Lt Reid was piloting a Lancaster bomber when it was attacked by a Messerschmitt, pumping three-inch shells into his cockpit through the windshield.

Shell fragments and splintered glass flayed into his body leaving him badly wounded. The bomber's gun turrets were shattered and cockpit chewed up before the rear gunner drove off the fighter. Somehow, Flt Lt Reid held on to the controls and carried out his raid on Dusseldorf with 600 other bombers.

Amazingly, he managed to breathe without an oxygen mask and in freezing temperatures as the Lancaster plunged to 2000ft before he brought the aircraft under control.

That's when a Focke-Wulf FW190 riddled the bomber's fuselage with gunfire, killing the navigator, fatally wounding the radio operator and injuring the flight engineer.

Flt Lt Reid was injured even more but still managed to drop his payload of bombs with pinpoint accuracy and turn for home in Norfolk, despite bleeding heavily.

He was later involved in the famous Dambusters Squadron but eventually taken prisoner in 1944, before being released a year later by advancing American troops.