LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant John Julius KREFTER
Service No: 429582
Born: Brisbane QLD, 8 April 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Lissett
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Halifax aircraft NR195), Germany, 6 January 1945, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayerrn, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Julius Herman Krefter and Charlotte Ann Krefter, of Toowong, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1544 hours on the night of 6 January 1945 Halifax NR195 took off from Lissett detailed to bomb Hanau, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at 1850 hours at Grossauheim approximately 4 kms south south east of the centre of Hanau and on the east bank of the River Main. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of NR195 were:
Sergeant Ernest Henry MacKenzie Barr (1796037) (RAFVR) (Mid Gunner)
Sergeant Alexander Thomas Clyde (1595187) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Peter Samuel Cotterell (1815603) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant James Gore (1021154) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant John Julius Krefter (429452) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Gilbert Morgan (338722) (RAF) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Kenneth Roy Nerney (433277) (Wireless Air Gunner)
It is possible that NR195 collided with No. 635 Squadron Lancaster PB228 in which Flying Officer James Richard Donald (423676) was killed.
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, 166/23/94