In the Memory of Sergeant John Elwyn JOHN

The family has three documents we would like to share to remember Sergeant John Elwyn JOHN RAFVR and all RAF air and ground personnel who without hesitation put their lives on the line day and night during World War II.

John Elwyn JOHN was born on 22 January 1922 at 1 Howells Terrace, Heol Las, Glamorgan, Wales. His father David Llewelyn JOHN, a Tin Plate worker, and his mother Margaret (nee BODYCOMBE). He was their fifth child; his older sister Ruby Elvira JOHN is my paternal grandmother.

At age 15 John started work at Felin Fran Colliery, Clydach. On the 1939 Register his occupation is listed as "Colliery Worker Sumpmans Mate (Above ground)".

John Elwyn became an RAF Volunteer Reserve, Aircraftman 2nd class (AC2) aged 18 years. He was based at RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire from May to August 1940. He then moved to No. 951 Squadron in Bristol, which later merged with No. 927 Squadron. On 4 February 1941, he became an Aircraftman 1st class (AC1), then promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) on 8 August 1942. The following month he was attached to No. 11 Balloon Centre at Pucklechurch, 7 miles from Bristol City Centre.

In October 1942, he travelled to London to the Air Crew Recruiting Centre (ACRC), where he started training to become an Air Gunner. The training took him to Bridlington, Morpeth, Chipping Warden and several bases in Lincolnshire.

He and his crew were originally posted to No. 467 Squadron, Waddington on 9 June 1943. On the 11th June 1943, the pilot from his crew flew to Dusseldorf, in the position of 2nd pilot. Sadly, the plane was shot down and the crew all perished. John Elwyn and the rest of the crew were then posted to RAF Wigsley for further heavy conversion training, awaiting a new pilot.

His last posting was to No. 57 Squadron, RAF Scampton on 28 July 1943. He was transferred in with the new Wing Commander, Walter Ralph HASKELL DFC, who was to become the pilot of his crew. We have found six sorties, in the final one he and the crew never returned home.

This was on 17 August 1943, leaving RAF Scampton at 21:44 flying into a moonlit sky. This was part of Operation Hydra; the target was the German V2 rocket factory at Peenemünde. He flew on Lancaster ED989, DX-F, Frederick III.

The Operations Record Book of No. 57 Squadron from the National Archives (AIR-27-538-38) states"Missing, lost contact after take-off." The plane was in the third wave of Lancaster bombers leaving the UK that night.

The crew of ED989 is listed below. They had a 2nd pilot on board, F/S Cyril BUTTERWORTH who transferred into No. 57 Squadron on 14 August 1943.

- W/C Walter Ralph HASKELL DFC, Pilot
- F/S Cyril BUTTERWORTH, 2nd Pilot
- Sgt Ronald Amos Charles Martin STRINGER, Flight Engineer
- F/O James JONES, Navigator
- Sgt John Furniss HARKNESS, Bomb Aimer
- Sgt Donald Edwin NYE, Wireless Operator
- Sgt John Elwyn JOHN, Mid-Upper Gunner
- F/S James Lawrence LAMB RCAF, Rear Gunner

John Elwyn is remembered:
- Runnymede Memorial, Surrey | Panel 155
- Primrose Park, Llansamlet | WWII War Memorial
- Lincoln Cathedral | No. 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command Book of Remembrance, Airman's Chapel
- St John the Baptist Church, Scampton | No. 57 Squadron Window, Pane 98
- IBBC, Lincoln | Memorial Garden, Panel 55
- IBBC, Lincoln | Ribbon of Remembrance, The Stories Behind the Stones, 1524 (Block 107, Column 12, Row 1)."Remembering John Elwyn John & His Crew of ED989"