LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer John William FISHER
Service No: 415244
Born: Perth WA, 5 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1941
Unit: No. 424 Squadron (RCAF), RAF Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 424 Squadron Halifax aircraft HX311), Germany, 15 February 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harry and Rosalie Viola Gertrude Fisher, of Busselton, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Kudarup WA
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the night of the 15/16th February 1944, Halifax HX311 took off from Skipton-on-Swale at 1721 hours, detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off, and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down at Falkenberg on the 15th February 1944, and all the crew were killed. They are buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
The crew members of HX311 were:
Sergeant Frederick William Bartley (1311036) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Alexander Francis Dowding (159677) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer John William Fisher (415244) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Bruce William Foskett (413755) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Frederick William Janes (168517) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley Lucas (2216237) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Henry Penalagan (J/8940) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Squadron Leader Aloyis Valentine Reilander (J/20359) (RCAF) (Pilot)
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 A705,166/13/190