John West was the son of Mr and Mrs R W West, of Shotton Colliery, County Durham. He enlisted in the Royal Corps of Signals and volunteered for airborne forces.

Sergeant West successfully completed Glider Pilot training and was posted to C Squadron, The Glider Pilot Regiment, and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgt West was killed in action when his glider, Horsa CN 124, carrying Polish paratroopers, crashed on Johannahoeve, near Oosterbeek on 19 September 1944. Both Glider pilots were killed instantly, and were given a field burial near the wreckage, Sgt West was aged 25. The four Polish Paratroopers although injured all survived. Sgt West was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 28 August 1945.

Page 181 'Glider Pilots at Arnhem' by Mike Peters and Luuk Buist

S.Sgt William Blandthorn recalls: 

"S.Sgt. James Bonham and Sgt John West had cast off from their Halifax tug, as it was damaged by flak and tuned for home. The 'C' Sqn. crew had lifted from Tarant Rushton, carrying a jeep and Polish gunners from 1 Troop, Polish Anti-Tank Battery.

Sgt. Tom Pearce of 'D' Sqn., who had flown in with the 2nd Lift, was on the edge of the landing zone watching their approach. He recalled:

"We heard gunfire to the north and west but nothing came our way until the third lift arrived. One Horsa had just cast off at about 1500 ft when there was a black burst very near the glider that immediately went into a vertical dive. It looked to be doing about 200mph. At about 500ft it levelled off...the 'G' force was so strong that it broke the back of the Horsa and the inverted shallow 'V' it (the glider) now formed went along in the air until it ploughed into the ground a few hundred yards from us. The cockpit broke away from the fuselage and went along the ground like a huge 'spinning top'. Shortly afterwards another Horsa came to a halt very near us. We went to help the troops get the vehicle out. Immediately after this we were ordered to retreat through the tunnel under the railway."