Brown, John William (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-October-14

Pilot Officer John William Brown RCAF

Birth Date: 1922-August-23

Born: Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada

Parents: John & Ellen Susannah Brown, of Toronto, Ontario.

Spouse:

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1942-September-04

Service

RCAF

Unit

550 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Per Ignem Vincimus Through fire we conquer

Base

RAF North Killingholme

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Navigator

Service Numbers

J/92163
Prev: R/190689

Home
Google MapToronto, Ontario
Target
Google MapDuisburg Germany
Temporary Burial
Google MapLohmannselde Forest Cemetery, Germany, near crash site

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial
Google MapReichswald Forest War Cemetery
Collective Grave Plot 29 Row A Graves 7-12

Took off from North Killingholme at 06:39 in Lancaster Mk I (Sqn code BQ-F2 Bomber command) on an operation to Duisburg Germany.

Engaged by heavy flak and exploded throwing the pilot clear before crashing into the garden of a house in the Gertstrasse at Baerl in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Killed includes Brown: Flight Sergeant Philip Leonard Brooker RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Collective grave Plot 29. Row A. Graves 7-12. Sergeant Kenneth William Nettleton RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave Plot 29. Row A. Graves 7-12. Sergeant Kenneth Ronald Salton RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave Plot 29. Row A. Graves 7-12. Sergeant Albert Percy Soper RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave Plot 29. Row A. Graves 7-12. Flight Sergeant Raymond Frank Veness RAF KIA Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Coll. grave Plot 29. Row A. Graves 7-12.

POWs: Flying Officer Alec Abrams RCAF J/87651 POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria.

Unvetted Source 550 squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Commonwealth War Grave Commission International Bomber Command Centre

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster NG133

Flying Officer Alec Abrams RCAF

Flying Officer Abrams, Alec (RCAF)
Pilot
Prisoner of War
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant Philip Leonard Brooker RAFVR

Flight Sergeant Brooker, Philip Leonard (RAFVR)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer John William Brown RCAF

Pilot Officer Brown, John William (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany

Sergeant Kenneth William Nettleton RAFVR

Sergeant Nettleton, Kenneth William (RAFVR)
Flight Engineer
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Sergeant Kenneth Ronald Salton RAFVR

Sergeant Salton, Kenneth Ronald (RAFVR)
Air Gunner (Rear)
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Sergeant Albert Percy Soper RAFVR

Sergeant Soper, Albert Percy (RAFVR)
Air Gunner (Mid-Upper)
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Flight Sergeant Raymond Frank Veness RAFVR

Flight Sergeant Veness, Raymond Frank (RAFVR)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1944-October-14
cemetery unknown

Mission

Lancaster Mk.I NG133

Bombing Duisburg Germany 1944-October-14 to 1944-October-14

550 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF North Killingholme

550 Squadron (Per Ignem Vincimus) RAF North Killingholme. Lancaster BI aircraft NG 133 BQ-F2 was struck by heavy flak and exploded, crashing near Baerl, Germany on the River Rhine during a daylight operation against targets in Duisburg, Germany

The pilot, Flying Officer A Abrams (RCAF) was thrown clear in the explosion and survived to become a Prisoner of War

Pilot Officer JW Brown (RCAF), Flight Sergeant PL Brooker (RAFVR), Sergeant KW Nettleton (RAFVR), Sergeant KR Salton (RAFVR), Sergeant AP Soper (RAFVR) and Flight Sergeant RF Veness (RAFVR) were all killed action

550 Squadron Lancaster bomber PD 319 BQ-G and the entire crew was also lost on this operation

Unvetted Source [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Unvetted Source 550 Squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association