LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Leslie STAGG
Service No: 428566
Born: Morwell VIC, 6 April 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 November 1942 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Chedburgh
Died: Air Operations: (No. 218 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF926), Germany, 31 December 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Henry and Lillian May Stagg; husband of Thelma Ellen Stagg, of Chilwell, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Moe VIC
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster NF926 took off from RAF Chedburgh at 1115 hours on the 31 December 1944, detailed to bomb Vohwinkel. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed near Solingen, Germany. Seven of the crew members were killed and one was taken prisoner.
The crew members of NF926 were:
Sergeant Joseph Carver (1595839) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant George Neville Chandler (47598) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Cyril Henry Robert James (1399446) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Derek Morris (1591938) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant John Leslie Stagg (428566) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Neil Watson (1568847) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant V Welbourne (1629751) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer Roy William Woodrow (175154) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 166/38/850