Peter Twiddy was born on 20 October 1921 in Stockwell, Surrey, to Albert Arthur Twiddy and Elsie Edith Ward. Peter had one older sister who died as an infant and a younger brother, Eric, who died in 2013 aged 89.

On the night of 19 October 1943, a Halifax HR674 aircraft was allocated to carry out a secret operation code-named “Sapling 7”. Sgt Twiddy along with six other crewmen from No.148 Squadron accompanied two passengers, Captain A. Careless and Signalman D.W. Rockingham, who were attached to the Special Operations Executive (SOE).

The purpose of the mission was to drop supplies and the two SOE personnel. The drop zone was high in the mountains above the village of Tragjas, Albania. The aircraft took off from Tocra, Libya on 19 October 1943 at 2325 hours local time and did not return.

Attempts to trace the aircraft, including searches of the sea, came to no avail until 22 October 1943 when a signal was received from the field saying that the plane had crashed in the early hours of 20 October with the loss of all persons on board.

Throughout his career Peter’s character was always described as very good. Peter was killed on his 22nd birthday.

Following information about the location of the Halifax crash site given to the Defence Section in Tirana, a team from the Embassy deployed to investigate. Human remains were recovered from the wreckage and DNA was used to confirm they were those of Sgt Peter Twiddy.

His remains were buried with full military honours at the CWGC plot in Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery and is now marked with a CWGC headstone and cared for in perpetuity.