LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant John Hartley HENDERSON
Service No: 400860
Born: Casterton VIC, 29 April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1940
Unit: No. 36 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 36 Squadron Albacore aircraft T9135), Malaya, 26 January 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joshua and Margaret Oliver Henderson, of Auburn, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hawthorn VIC
Remembered: Column 422, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 26 January 1942 Albacore T0135 was shot down by Japanese carrier fighters while attacking a large Japanese invasion fleet at the mouth of the River Merseing on the south east coast of Malaya, in the vicinity of Endau. Out of the attacking force of 36 aircraft from Nos 36, 100 and 16 Squadrons RAF, 19 aircraft were lost. In 1947 the wreck of T 0135 was found in position 02.37N 103.46.5E about 3 to 4 miles due north of Telok Sari near Endau and in shallow water. The wreckage was uncovered at low tides. The remains of any of the missing crew members were irrecoverable.
The crew members of T9135 were:
Sergeant Andrew Martin Hearn Fleming (40965) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Neil Stewart Gill (408123) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Hartley Henderson (400860) (Observer)
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, 163/121/137