LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant John Ross MASTERS
Service No: 411931
Born: Rockdale NSW, 28 October 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941
Unit: No. 54 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 54 Operational Training Unit Blenheim aircraft L8613), off Scottish Coast, 5 October 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Wilkins Masters and Olive Isabel Masters, of Yass, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Yass NSW
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Goulburn-Mulwaree Honour Roll 1939-1972, Goulburn NSW
On 5 October 1942 Blenheim L8613 took off on a non-operational training flight together with Blenheim L6788 to carry out camera gun astern attacks with L8613 being the target aircraft. In making an attack at 1,000 feet L6788 overshot the target aircraft and its starboard airscrew stuck the underside fuselage of L8613 causing the tail unit to tear away. Sergeant Masters baled out and landed in the sea and was reported missing believed drowned. Sergaent Gracey was killed in the subsequent crash of the aircraft. The Royal Observer Corps reported the approximate position of the bale out parachute and aircraft were diverted to the scene of the accident as well as a lifeboat from Dunbar. There were heavy seas at the time. In 1948 it was recorded that Sergaent Masters had lost his life at sea.
The crew members of L8613 were:
Sergeant James Gracey (1544964) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant John Ross Masters (411931) (Pilot)
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, 163/142/493
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line