Gaston known as Tony was born in January 1920 in Ormskirk, Lancashire to Lazare who was born in Beirut and Lilian nee Btesh whose parents were born in Syria and he had five siblings. Their father Lazare was a merchant who travelled regularly to Morocco and Gibraltar on business. The family attended the Withington Synagogue for Spanish and Portuguese Jews where Tony is commemorated on their Memorial Board.

Tony enlisted early in the war and after training joined 39 Squadron. He was on board Beaufort W6518 which departed from Malta at 19.14 on an operation to attack an enemy convoy. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed into the Ionian Sea killing three of the crew who are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

Gerard John Kerrigan, 581041
Vincent Owen Weston, 755476
Pilot, Sergeant B Guy became a prisoner of war.