LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Raymond EVERETT
Service No: 422153
Born: Manly NSW, 22 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations: (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft LW481), Germany, 20 February 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Stanley Everett and Eileen May Everett, of Seaforth, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
At 0004 hours on the morning of 20 February 1944 Halifax LW481 took off from Snaith detailed to bomb Leipzig, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry team report stated “the aircraft was seen to come down in flames, crash and explode near the village of Buecknitz.” Two crew members were killed and the other six became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of LW481 were:
Sergeant Arthur Ronald Albone (1576661) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant W H T Alexander (556454) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW
Sergeant G Burdsall (993633) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flying Officer R E Carder (156074) (RAFVR) (Pilot) PoW
Flight Sergeant John Raymond Everett (422153) (Second Pilot)
Pilot Officer C Kettley (159021) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) PoW
Pilot Officer C A King (168699) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Pilot Officer E S Storey (157958) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
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, 166/12/65
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line