Lester Montgomery Arlington was born on March 20, 1923, in Sterling, Comanche County, Oklahoma. He was the son of Wilford Bell Arlington and Ruth U Arlington. He was the husband of Edna Louise Brown Arlington.

Lester served in the 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, as a Sergeant and Left Waist Gunner on the B-17 Fortress #42-29967 "Ruthie" during World War II.

On July 4, 1943, his crew took off from Station 109 in Podington, England, to bomb the Château-Bougon airfield and SNCASO factories. Hit by flak and shot down by fighters at around 12:30 PM, their airplane crashed 1 km from La Guérinière beach. All members survived the crash, but all of them were captured. Sgt Arlington was sent to Stalag Luft 7A in Moosburg, Bavaria, Germany. He was liberated on May 2, 1945.

Lester died on September 27, 1975, at the age of 52, and is now buried in the Sunset Memorial Gardens, Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.findagrave.com