LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant John Knox READ

Service No: 426155
Born: Quirindi NSW, 1 April 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1942 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station East Kirkby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB234), Germany, 20 October 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of the Revd. George Knox Read and Mrs. M. Read, of Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia, and stepson of Constance Mary Read, of Chatswood, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: Townsville QLD
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 1731 hours on the night of 20 October 1943 Lancaster JB234 took off from East Kirkby detailed to bomb Leipzig, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the Elbe River at Arneburg, presumably as the result of enemy action and all the crew members were killed.

The crew members of JB234 were:

Sergeant Robert Alfred Chumbley (1395990) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Cyril Thomas Harston (1439959) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John O’Leary (1330779) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Frank Ernest Saville Parker (52880) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Peter Simpson Porteous (132018) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant John Knox Read (426155) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Charles Wharton (1031763) (RAFVR) (Rear 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/35/169

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