Remembering today: John Albert Winkley Flying Officer 167223 RAFVR Died: 30/6/1945 Buried: Montreal, Canada Son of Sidney Samuel and Beatrice Winkley, of Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England. Remembered with honour. Casualty
Hi John joined the Royal Air Force on Monday 5 April 1943 and trained as a pilot in Canada. He served in 45 Group which was responsible for the ferrying of new aircraft from American and Canadian factories to operational units and died at 22 years of age in an air crash whilst acting as co-pilot, the crew ferrying an aircraft from Canada to India. At the time of the incident John was serving aboard a Liberator Mk. VIII, serial number KN768, coded 6FU, with Flying Officer 153243 Derrick William Southwell (pilot), Sergeant 1380980 Geoffrey Frank Buers (wireless operator/gunner), Sergeant 1564511 Allan Thomas Furness (gunner), Sergeant 1807448 Ivor Ralph Platt (gunner) and Flight Sergeant 1589541 George Edward Chappell (flight engineer). Taking off from Dorval, near Montreal, the Liberator was found to be in a semi-stalled condition with the undercarriage being raised prematurely. The aircraft sank to earth striking the port outer propeller on the runway, the propeller becoming detached resulting in an engine failure. The aircraft was then seen to climb to about 50 feet and crash onto the runway bursting into flames. The entire crew either perished in the aircraft or later the same day in hospital. John was seriously injured in the crash and succumbed the same day in the Royal Air Force Hospital, Lachine. Regards, Graeme
Liberator B.VII KN768 Ex. 44-50073 Modification Centre Number 46-30 Allocated to India but on take off from Dorval on delivery flight by 6FU the undercarriage retracted prematurely, one propeller hit the runway and flew off, engine cut and the aircraft crashed Struck Off Charge - 2 July 1945
