Richard William Gordon West joined the British Army in 1914 as a private with the South Staffordshire Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps (later known as the Royal Air Force). He reached the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served in the RAF until he was involved in a plane crash in 1923.
During the start of World War II, F/L West rejoined the RAF as a reserve in an administrative role with the General Duties Branch. He was then transferred to RAF Station Catterick #12 Fighter Group as the Adjutant, which is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly managing human resources. From May 1938 to June 1939, F/L West returned to the General Duties Branch. In September 1939, he was listed as Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). According to information from S/L West’s nephew, his last known appointment was as the Commandant of the Tri-Service Russian language school, although this hasn’t been proven. SAM.1998.69.1