LEST WE FORGET

Flight Lieutenant John Graham Leighton JONES

Service No: 570
Born: Essendon VIC, 15 June 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 September 1939
Unit: No. 1 Squadron, operating from Kota Baru, Malaya
Died: Air Operations: (No. 1 Squadron Hudson aircraft A16-94), Malaya, 8 December 1941, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Leslie William and Eileen Isobel Jones, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 411, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 97, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 8 minutes past 2 a.m., in clearing weather with a rising moon, the first Hudson took off followed at intervals of only two or three minutes by six more. Because of the nearness of the enemy ships to the coast and the low cloud base out to sea the pilots were ordered to make independent low-level attacks on any transports they could find and to report promptly what enemy forces they sighted. Each aircraft carried four 250-lb bombs fused for eleven seconds delay. The pilot of the first Hudson, Flight Lieutenant Lockwood (1) on making his approach at 2,000 feet, sighted the three transports and dived to 50 feet to release two bombs. No hits were observed; as his attack drew heavy fire from the ships he took evasive action and again flew in and released his remaining two bombs. Flight Lieutenant Ramshaw (2), who followed Lockwood in to the attack, confirmed that Lockwood’s second salvo had scored direct hits on the vessel amidships. From the first seven sorties, one Hudson, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Jones, did not return.

(1) Flight Lieutenant John McAlister Hardman Lockwood (554) was killed on air operations on 14 February 1942.
(2) Flight Lieutenant John Christopher Ramshaw (552) (Pilot) was killed on air operations later in the day on 8 December 1941.

Extract from Gillison, D. (Douglas) Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1962 – Pages 208, 210

The crew members of A16-94 were:

Sergeant Graham John Hedges (404294) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant John Graham Leighton Jones (570) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Ronald Hewett Siggins (407007) (Pilot)
Sergeant Donald Ward Walters (407307) (Wireless Air Gunner)

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 163/39/44

Bibliography:

Vincent, D. (David) The RAAF Hudson Story Book 1, D. Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1989
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992

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