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Dilworth, John Frederick

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Personal Information

Rank W/C
Forename(s) John Frederick
Surname Dilworth
Gender M
Age 29
Decorations DFC
Date of Death 24-02-1944
Next of Kin Son of Joseph and Anne-Louise Dilworth, of Willoughby, Sydney, Australia and later of Tarramurra, NSW. Husband of Vera Dilworth, of Manor House, Barnoldby le Beck, Lincolnshire, whom he married at Chatsworth, NSW on 10 July 1940. Father of daughter Peta Dilworth, born 15 April 1943. She was 10 months old when her father was killed.
DILWORTH JF

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Avro Lancaster III
Serial Number ED815
Markings HW-P

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Germany
Burial/Memorial Place Durnbach War Cemetery
Grave Reference 5. F. 19.
Epitaph GOD HAS YOU IN HIS KEEPING, WE HAVE YOU IN OUR HEARTS

IBCC Memorial Information

Phase 1
Panel Number 29

Enlistment Information

Service Number 40044
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 1
Squadron 100
Squadron Motto Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok (Malay - Don't let anyone attack the hornet's nest)
Trade Pilot
Country of Origin Australia

Other Memorials

Location Off the A16, Holton le Clay, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Stone Pillar & Information Boards
Memorial Text Do not attack the Hornets nest, 100 Squadron Royal Air Force Waltham Grimsby, December 1942 April 1945, Honour the brave
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Miscellaneous Information

Born 17 October 1914, Bondi, NSW, Australia. He was educated at Sydney Technical School (1928-32) and was an Australian national who underwent training in Australia as RAFO (Reserve Air Force Officer). Entry into the pre-war RAAF was very stringent and was limited to a small number. However, a request from Britain and the RAF requested the RAAF to train candidates in Australia for future service with the RAF on a short service commission which was normally 5 years. John Dilworth was one of these few. The accepted candidates were trained at RAAF Point Cook in Melbourne and if they passed basic flying training, were sent to Britain where they would receive further training and then be allocated to Squadrons. These individuals were not part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, which started at the outbreak of war.
DFC awarded with effect from 24 February 1944 (published in London Gazette 21 December 1945, p6207). The citation states: ‘This officer has completed, as pilot and captain of aircraft, many successful operations against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed high skill, fortitude, and devotion to duty’.
15 Jul 36 - Aged 21 Enlisted at Point Cook as an Air Cadet RAAF 26 Jul 36 - Point Cook; basic flying training 29 Jun 37 - Awarded Flying Badge 17 Jul 37 - Discharged from the ATC on termination of period of enlistment. He, and fellow RAAF servicemen, boarded the steamer ship Orama on the 17th July 1937 for the 6 week sailing to London, to join the RAF. Aged just 22 he left behind his parents, Joseph and Annie-Louise, and his younger brother, Arthur. 26 Aug 37 - Arrived in London 26 Aug 37 - Commissioned as Plt Off, RAFO 06 Sep 37 - 1 FTS, Leuchars 19 Dec 37 - 29(F) Sqn, Debden 09-14 May 38 - 3 SoTT, Blackpool (parachute course) 07 Aug 38 - CFS, Upavon (flying instructor's course) 07 Oct 38 - 2 FTS, Brize Norton (instructor) 15 Dec 38 - 12 FTS, Spitalgate 26 May 39 - Promoted to Fg Off, RAFO 12 Jun 39 - Promoted to Acting Flt Lt, RAFO (London Gazette 01 Aug 1939) 20 Feb 40 - Placed on Special Duties List 19 Mar 1940 - Relinquished acting rank of Flt Lt (London Gazette 07 May 1940, p2723) and left the UK to return to Australia with his English fiancée, Vera CFS, Point Cook, VIC & Camden, NSW (flying instructor on loan to the Australian Govt). He was amongst the first group of Flying Instructors at the newly built No. 2 FTS in Wagga Wagga. 10 Jul 1940 - He and Vera were married at Chatswood, NSW (aged 25) 03 Sep 40 - Promoted to Flt Lt (London Gazette 22 Oct 1940 p6139) 01 Dec 41 - Promoted to Temp. Sqn Ldr, RAFO 25 May 42 - Embarked Sydney on board SS Ruys with his wife Vera 06 Jul 42 - Disembarked Liverpool 06 Jul 42 - 2 PDC, Wilmslow 08 Jul 42 - 10 OTU, Abingdon WHITLEY 19 Jul 42 - 11 OTU, Bassingbourn & Westcott (Sep 1942) 26 Aug 42 - Transferred to the RAFO 05 Oct 42 - 1501 BAT Flt, Abingdon (course) 12 Oct 42 - 101 Sqn, Holme on Spalding Moor 16 Oct 42 - 1654 HCU, Wiglsey 460 Sqn, Binbrook (OC from 14 Dec 42) 12 Dec 42 - Promoted to Acting Wg Cdr 16 Feb 43 - Relinquished Acting Wg Cdr 22 Feb 43 - 1662 HCU, Blyton 15 Apr 43 - Birth of his daughter, Peta 21 Aug 43 - 101 Sqn (supernumerary), Ludford Magna 25 Nov 43 - 576 Sqn, Elsham Wolds; OC A-Flt 17 Dec 43 - 100 Sqn, RAF Grimsby, CO 11 Jan 44 - Promoted to Sqn Ldr (war subs) (London Gazette 28 Sep 1945 p4806) 25 Feb 44 - Lost in ED815 HW-P (Schweinfurt).

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/797/4
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/797/3

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Bourne P R (Sgt)
Hewitson J (Sgt)
Merricks A J H (Sgt)
Savage P H (F/S)
Smith E H V (Sgt)

Last Operation Information

Start Date 24-02-1944
End Date 25-02-1944
Takeoff Station Grimsby
Day/Night Raid Night (1% moon)
Operation Schweinfurt
Reason for Loss Shot down by a night-fighter flown by Albert Walter, of 1./NJG6 - 3km west of Bosingen at an altitude of 4000m at 22:38 hours. The aircraft crashed near Bösingen, NNW of Rottweil (Baden Wurttemburg).

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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.