John was lost during the Battle of Berlin. At the last minute John was ordered to replace a flight engineer on Lancaster JB 480 (marked “MG-N”) out of Oakington. It was John’s third mission in six days. They took off the evening of 23 November, one of 26 bombers, loaded with a 4,000 pound “cookie” and 5 medium capacity bombs. They went missing and were never found.
John’s regular crew, lead by Flight Sergeant Roger Clifford, went down ten weeks later, 29 January 1944, over Germany. Two crew members (including Clifford) survived the crash and were incarcerated in Stalag Luft 6.
John's last rank was Sergeant, he was service # 1604584.
John is still very much missed by his cousins who remember the lunches he treated them to in London. John’s name is on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial. Lest we forget.
