Reginald Stanley Raines was born in March 1914, the younger son of Joseph William and Leonora Raines. He was baptised at St John the Baptist church in Croydon on 14 April 1914 when the family were living at 14 Eland Road and his father’s occupation was given as musician.

He had a half-sister from his father’s first marriage, but she died just after his first birthday. His mother was widowed relatively young and the 1921 census lists her as the head of household living at 14 Eland Road, Croydon, with her six children, Winifred, Ethel, Florence, Joseph, Phylis and Reginald.

Reginald married Florence Winifred Ashby in Croydon in mid-1939 and the 1939 register taken in September that year records them living at 34 Norbury Road, Croydon; he was working as a stockbroker’s clerk.

He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and was training as an Observer. He was attached to No13 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire.

On 29 January 1942 Blenheim R3907 took off from RAF Bicester on a daylight cross country training exercise. The aircraft crashed at Fullaway Farm, Stert just southeast of Devizes in Wiltshire. The Air Accident report contains very limited details of the event. The report by P/O Courtnay the appropriate specialist officer simply states “Aircraft completely burnt out, unable to find out if there was any technical defect. Aircraft nose dived into the ground vertically with the exception of the tail unit, the remainder was burnt. Fuel tanks burst on impact.”

All three crew, Sergeant J Ruddock (Pilot), Sergeant R S Raines (Observer) and Sergeant K Riding (W/Op/AG) were killed instantly. Sergeant Ruddock and Sergeant Raines were buried side by side in Caversfield Churchyard, near RAF Bicester, Oxfordshire on 4 February 1941; Sergeant Riding is buried in Marton St Paul Cemetery, Blackpool.

The inscription on the foot of Alfred’s headstone “TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE”, is from the poem “Hallowed Ground” by Thomas Campbell (1777-1844). He is also commemorated on panel 88 of the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) memorial walls in Lincoln. Additionally he is Commemorated on Page 498 of the Croydon Roll of Honour which notes that he was educated at John Ruskin School, where his name is also listed on the School’s memorial tablet.