205679 Flight Sargeant John Francis Moore Royal Air Force 166 squadron (d.20th Dec 1943) Just wanted to add a brief story about my uncle John Francis Moore. He joined the air force in Australia in 1941 and later went to England with the RAF.
He was with the 166 squadron and was a wireless operator/gunner on a Lancaster. His crew were part of the massive strike on Frankfurt on 20/12/43. His plane was hit, probably on the flight back by ground fire. The plane crashed in Holland, not far from the coast, on their way back to base, all were killed. He was 20 years old. His mother got the telegram 2 days before Xmas saying he was missing in action. It took 6 months for confirmation that he had died that day.
My mother never spoke much about her brother who was only 6 years older than she was, I think it was too painful to think of the waste of all those young lives.
The seven man crew are buried together in Middelharnis, in Holland. One sister went there many years ago to visit the gravesite. I recently was able to view his service file and it has the description of a witness who heard the plane circling which obviously didn't sound right. I guess the pilot knew he wouldn't make it across the channel and tried to land. They crashed near a farmhouse and from what I understand the locals buried them with great care and respect. I wish that I had tried to find out years ago more about him and his life in UK for that short time he was there. We have a picture of his crew all young men laughing and smiling. Its hard to imagine what it was like for them at that time.
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