LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer John Henry MOSS
Service No: 406047
Born: Leeds England, 23 January 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1940 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 162 Squadron (RAF), Bilbeis, Egypt
Died: Air Operations (No. 162 Squadron Wellington aircraft X9986), Egypt, 2 July 1942, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Florence Moss; husband of Helen Moss, of Perth, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Column 265, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
On 2 July 1942, Wellington X9986 of No. 162 Squadron was detailed to attack enemy concentrations in the battle area at night in the vicinity of El Daba, Egypt. At approximately 0200 hours over the target area a large flash was seen in the sky by other crews at about 6,000 feet, followed by pieces of falling debris. To all witnesses it appeared that an aircraft had for some reason exploded in mid-air. As 104 Squadron (RAF) Wellington aircraft Z8655 was missing, it was believed very likely that these two aircraft had actually collided in mid-air, and their bombs had exploded. Other aircraft had several near escapes from the collision. With no trace of the missing aircraft or crew being found following post war enquiries and investigations, in 1948 the crew of X9986 were recorded as having no known grave
The crew members of X9986 were:
Flight Sergeant Arthur William Doughty (917236) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Reuben Leonard Hill (1286274) (RAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Henry Moss (406047) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Wallace Neu (1174337) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alphonse Peter Ouellette (J/15390) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Thomas George Wood (1378419) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
The crew members of No. 104 Squadron Wellington Z8655 were:
Sergeant Eric William Bond (1162554) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Maurice Alfred Brett (1252400) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Herbert Hargraves Harris (402351) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant James Sheriff Kennedy (980725) (RAFVR) (First Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Garnet Graham Retallack (J/5336) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Neville Todd (528532) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
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
Gurney, David & Pelham Temple, Royal Air Force Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean – Volume 1 1939-1942, Midland Publishing, 2006
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/145/249