LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Ramsay TONKIN
Service No: 416631
Born: Murray Bridge SA, 16 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1941
Unit: No. 15 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 15 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft X3160), Berkshire, 7 July 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred Alan John and Dora Tonkin, of Barmera, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Barmera SA
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington X3160 took off from RAF Harwell at 1105 hours on the 7th July 1943, detailed to carry out a cross-country training exercise. The aircraft caught fire following the failure of the holding down studs to No 5 cylinder in the port engine and at 1310 hours the bomber broke up in the air. The main debris fell over White Horse Hill, some two miles north of Odstone, a hamlet 2 kms north east of Ashbury, and 8 kms north west of Lambourn, Berkshire. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of X3160 were:
Sergeant Raymond George Bates (1338950) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Charles Willie Brooks (400450) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Lysle Herbert Hungerford Dearing (413550) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Roy Albert James Farahar (1576328) (RAFVR) (Navigator / Bomber)
Flight Sergeant James Foster Hansen (414560) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Raymond Kirby Kitney DFM (129117) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Robert Victor Paul (138879) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant John Ramsay Tonkin (416631) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/40/53