Brown, William John
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | William John |
Surname | Brown |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 13-08-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William John and Mary Brown, of Aigburth, Liverpool. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | JD151 |
Markings | EY-M |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Liverpool (Allerton) Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Sec. 16. R.C. Grave 517. |
Epitaph | THE MIGHTY OF ALL; HIS COUNTRY SMALL, HE FLEW TILL DAWN FOR PEACE FOR ALL |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 137 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 616402 |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 78 |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Private location, Wressle, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Pillar |
Memorial Text | Dedicated to the crew of Halifax JD151 78 Sqn 11.8.43 |
Location | Adjacent to Clubhouse, Breighton Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Dedicated to all who served at this airfield and gave their lives during World War II |
Location | External, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | 78 Sqn 4 Group Bomber Command Yorkshire 1939 - 1945 To All Who Served |
Location | Internal, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Wooden Board, Memorial Chapel featuring Cross made from Halifax wreckage |
Memorial Text | The 78 Sqn Memorial in the Churchyard was dedicated by the Bishop of Selby on 7th September 1986. RAF Breighton, two miles from this church was the Sqn's home from June 1943 to May 1945 |
Location | Outside "B" Hangar, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Slate Plaque |
Memorial Text | In proud memory of all who have lost their lives serving with 78 Sqn Royal Air Force "Nemo Non Paratus - Nobody Unprepared" |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/76 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/75 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 10-08-1943 |
End Date | 11-08-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Breighton |
Day/Night Raid | Night (70% moon) |
Operation | Nuremberg. 653 aircraft, 16 losses (2.5%). Ground marking was used even though there was cloud cover. Serious damage to both residential and industrial buildings and 577 deaths. |
Reason for Loss | Ran low on fuel and crashed short of the runway at Bowthorpe Hall, South Driffield, Selby, while on approach for a priority landing |