LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Fredrick CALVESBERT
Service No: 416649
Born: Eltham, England, 24 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 26 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 26 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BJ833), Buckinghamshire, 8 June 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Ernest and Christina Calvesbert, of College Park, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On 8 June 1943, Wellington BJ833 took off from RAF Little Horwood to carry out circuits and landings in daylight. Soon after take off and after gaining height, the aircraft commenced to dive steadily and crashed at 1758 hours at Sionhill Farm on the eastern side of East Claydon, 10 kms south south east of Buckingham. The three man crew was killed.
The crew members of BJ833 were:
Flight Sergeant John Fredrick Calvesbert (416649) (Pilot)
Sergeant Geoffrey Fall (1395644) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Edward Henry Palava (R/173953) (RCAF) (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, 166/7/122