LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John James ALLEN
Service No: 404842
Born: Charters Towers QLD, 21 August 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1940
Unit: No. 41 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 41 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AR426), Yorkshire, 20 June 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Holme-Upon-Spalding Moor (All Saints) Churchyard, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gerald Joseph and Rose Anne Allen, of Hughenden, North Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hughenden QLD
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1345 hours on 20 June 1942 Spitfire AR426 flown by Flying Officer Allen crashed at RAF
Station Holme-Upon-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire.
Two friends of Allen who watched the take-off later reported “the aircraft took off and climbed to about 1,000 feet, circled the aerodrome and then flew down over the aerodrome at about 80 to 100 feet. It then pulled up and started a climbing roll. The machine slipped badly in coming out of the roll and the aircraft lost height with one wing going down until it was out of site behind buildings. Both Pilot Officer Summers and I heard the crash about 3 seconds after. Allen called to see Summers and myself. We had lunch together and Allen was his usual self in all respects. Pilot Officer Summers and I took him to his machine.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/22/142