J H Moutray 1919 - 1997

Born in 1919 and adopted by the Moutray family, Canadian John Howard Moutray was a rear tail gunner and wireless operator. Moutray joined the RAF two years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, living in Withington, Manchester. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (with bar) and later, a Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1943 Moutray was signals leader of a Lancaster Bomber squadron. Moutray obtained the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

During Moutray's distinguished RAF career, he carried out two tours of duty with Bomber Command, survived two crashes and rescued a fellow serviceman from a burning fuselage. Post-war, Moutray became an aviation artist. He served as a past president of the BC Air Crew Association and collaborated with Laddie Lucas on the book “Out of the Blue: The Role of Luck in Air Warfare, 1917 - 1966”