LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Francis MOORE
Service No: 410689
Born: Brunswick VIC, 18 May 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5552), Netherlands, 20 December 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Middleharnis Protestant Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert William and Margaret Mary Moore, of Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Heidelberg VIC
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1727 hours on the night of 20/21 December Lancaster R5552 took off from Kirmington detailed to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. The aircraft was one of seventeen aircraft from the Squadron on the mission during which many night fighters were seen. Nothing was heard from R5552 after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Middelharnis (Zuid Holland) on the island of Overflakkee. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of R5552 were:
Flight Sergeant David Bernard (R/151425) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Allan Henson (1563332) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Francis Moore (410689) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Bert Renelt (1387475) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Alexander Bernard Sheddan (416210) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant James William Thompson (1365303) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Ernest Charles Toms (1396656) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/28/213