Geoffrey Rylands

Bank: District Bank

Place of work: Altrincham branch

Died: 30 March 1942

Geoffrey Paul Rylands was born on 31 January 1920, the son of Nora Lee and Geoffrey Glazebrook Rylands. He was educated at Bromsgrove School, Worcestershire and joined the staff of District Bank as a junior at its Manchester Peter Street branch in February 1937. He moved to Altrincham branch two months later.

In May 1940 Rylands left the bank to go on war service, joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Flight Sergeant Rylands was killed in action on 30 March 1942 as part of the crew of a Blenheim bomber which was shot down over the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean. He was 22 years old and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. His brother, Harry Glazebrook Rylands, was killed in action in Myanmar in 1945.