LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Glover WEST
Service No: 417273
Born: Adelaide SA, 15 January 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1942
Unit: No. 1 Ferry Crew Pool, No. 303 Ferry Flight (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (Wellington aircraft JA393), Pembrokeshire, 30 January 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred Thomas Charles and Florence Jean West, of Adelaide, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
At 1700 hours on the 30th January 1944, Wellington JA393, on a non-operational day ferry flight, crashed at RAF Talbenny, Pembrokeshire. The aircraft was in distress with engine trouble, and on landing, it collided with a building and burst into flames. The aircraft was returning from Llandow where it had dropped five aircrew who were to ferry back five new machines. At 1659 hours a WTB was sent out. The Pilot then attempted to land but did not lower down until off the airfield, and the aircraft hit a building. Three of the crew members were killed and one injured.
The crew members of JA 393 were:
Sergeant Barnes (1336603) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) Injured
Sergeant Norman Curry (1144386) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Donald Kemp (1317546) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant John Glover West (417273) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
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, 166/43/513