501587 Sergeant John Alfred Withington RAF VR 106 Squadron (d.2nd January 1944) I am researching my great uncle John Alfred Withington who died during the Second World War. He was a gunner in a Lancaster bomber with the 106 Squadron, all but one of the crew died on the 2nd of January 1944. My father was told that his uncle, John Withington helped an injured crew member when their plane was hit. John helped open the other crew members parachute but his own then failed.
www.lostbombers.co.uk reports the crash:
Lancaster JB642 bomber with the 106 Squadron on operation to Berlin, lost on the 2nd of January 1944. JB642 was one of two No.106 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. Airborne 0020 2nd January 1944 from Metheringham. Outbound, crashed at Hoya, a town straddling the Weser, 14 km SSW of Verden. Those killed are buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
At 18, Sgt Withington was amongst the youngest to die on air operations in Bomber Command. P/O F.H.Garnett KIA Sgt D.McLean KIA F/S T.J.Thomas KIA Sgt E.M.J.Pease KIA Sgt E.Edge KIA Sgt J.A.Withington KIA Sgt A.A.E.Elsworthy PoW, was interned in Camps 4B/L3, PoW No.269841.
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