LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Anthony JOYCE
Service No: 424526
Born: Bathurst NSW, 3 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME318), Germany, 4 December 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Martin and Rose Agnes Margaret Joyce, of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Customs House World War 2 Roll of Honour, Circular Quay NSW
Brother of Flight Sergeant Brian Martin Joyce (421598)
At 1615 hours on the night of 4 December 1944 Lancaster ME318 took off from Kirmington detailed to bomb Karlsruhe, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “The aircraft crashed approximately 1.5miles south east of Bissingen on 4 December. Bissengen is approximately 12miles north east of Stuttgart.” Six of the crew members were killed and one was a prisoner.
The crew members of ME318 were:
Flight Sergeant Robert James Barr (R/251406) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer G C Clewley (J/87390) (RCAF) (Pilot) PoW
Flight Sergeant John Anthony Joyce (424526) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flying Officer Allen James Reid (J/36936) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Alexander John Taylor (1366936) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Harry Ray Thyret (R/224882) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Warrant Officer Elmer Fasken Williams (R/160076) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/21/231
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line