LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Edward STANTON
Service No: 422817
Born: North Sydney NSW, 15 January 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1942
Unit: No. 138 Squadron (RAF), RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 138 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK272), North West Europe, 26 February 1945, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mrs. E. M. Stanton, of Manly, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 283, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
Stirling LK272 of 138 Squadron took off from RAF Station Tempsford at 1939 hours on 26 February 1945, together with other Squadron aircraft on a special mission to drop containers at a point in Norway, 3 kms north of Flintiseter and 23 kms south east of Torpe. Nothing was heard from LK 272 after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of LK272 were:
Sergeant John Edwin Cory (1538889) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Leonard John Gornall DFC (52164) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Peter Brownell Cornwallis (158074) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Stuart Samuel Hagerty (R/211936) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Stanley Arthur Pepworth DFM (184794) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer John Edward Stanton (422817) (Air Bomber)
Warrant Officer Brian Douglas Tovey (29856) (Wireless Operator/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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/956
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line