LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Mayo BORTHWICK
Service No: 413518
Born: Inverell NSW, 5 August 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 1662 Conversion Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1662 Conversion Unit Lancaster aircraft W4314), Lincolnshire, 1 September 1943, Aged33 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis and Minnie Borthwick, of Inverell, New South Wales, Australia: husband of Lois Margaret Borthwick, of Inverell
Roll of Honour: Inverell NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Warialda Honour Roll 1939-1945, Warialda NSW
On the night of 31st August/1st September 1943, Lancaster W4314 took off from RAF Blyton on a long night cross country training flight. The aircraft flew into the ground at 0325 hours near Laughton, five miles north north east of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of W4314 were:
Flight Sergeant John Mayo Borthwick (413518) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant William Bradshaw (1673635) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Peter Raymond Good (417068) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Sinclair August Grant (414931) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant George Howard (1622642) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Lewis William Martin (416876) (Pilot)
Sergeant Thomas Stearman (1080326) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/249
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line