Wayne Aloes Becker was born on 15 November 1911 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, USA, a son of Aloes Seymour Becker (1886-1960) and Etta V. Becker née Rutan (1896-1919).
He graduated from Springfield Senior High School in January 1929. After serving in the U.S. Navy from September 1929 to November 1934, he joined Transcontinental Western Airways in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA, in 1934. From July 1935 until November 1939 he became an engineer with Pan American Airways and was stationed in Trinidad, British West Indies.
When WWII broke out in 1939 he paid his own passage from Trinidad to England and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation on 22 February 1940, entering the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. His service number was 77655. From May to September 1940 he attended the School of Aeronautical Engineers at Henlow, Bedfordshire and was transferred to the RAF's Technical Branch on 2 October 1940. On 22 February 1941, having served for one year, his appointment was confirmed and he was promoted to the war substantive rank of Flying Officer where he served in No.71 Eagle Squadron. When the squadron disbanded in September 1942, with its American pilots being transferred to United States Army Air Forces, he served with the British Commandos in Africa. On 1 January 1943 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant.
On 16 September 1942 he married a widow, Doris Mary Reynolds née Greener (1909-2003), in the Marylebone registration district. Doris Mary Greener had previously married a John Chalk Reynolds (1909-1935) in 1933 in Little Aston, Staffordshire, but he unfortunately died on 16 December 1935. She and her new husband had two children whose births were both registered in the Marylebone registration district: Timothy W. Becker (b.1945) and Robin G. Becker (b.1947).
The Supplement to the London Gazette dated 25 January 1957 confirmed that on 15 November 1956 under the provisions of the Navy, Army and Air Force Reserve Acts, 1954, that and having been granted permission to retain his rank as Flight Lieutenant, he relinquished his commission.
He died, aged 52 years, at 9.25pm on 14 June 1964 at the Roanoke Veterans Administration Hospital, 1970 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia, USA, while suffering from leukaemia, his death being attributed to a heart attack. He was buried on 18 June 1964 at Trinity Cemetery, Trinity, Botetourt County, Virginia, USA. The England & Wales probate records show that his address had been Apartment 93a, 2993 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, USA and that when probate was granted on 29 June 1965 to his widow, his effects totalled £308.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
