James Ling

Bank: Commercial Bank of Scotland

Place of work: Irvine branch

Died: 31 March 1944

James Gordon Richmond Ling was born in Newmilns, Ayrshire in 1921, the son of Ernest and Bella Ling. He was educated at Kilmarnock Academy. After leaving school he went to work for Commercial Bank of Scotland, initially at its Kilmarnock branch and later at Irvine. 

During the Second World War Ling left the bank to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. On the night of 30-31 March 1944 he was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber which took off from Bardney, Lincolnshire, on a bombing raid to Nuremberg. The plane was shot down over Germany and six of the seven crew, including Flying Officer Ling, were killed. He was 23 years old.

James Ling is commemorated on a bank war memorial at Gogarburn campus, Edinburgh.