Ferris, John Sherman
Personal Information
Rank | WO2 |
Forename(s) | John Sherman |
Surname | Ferris |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 22-10-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Wesley Ferris and Abigail Louise Ferris (née Symon), of Glammis, Kincardine Township, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | LW293 |
Markings | EY-L |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hanover War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 16. B. 1. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 163 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/129539 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 78 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Miscellaneous Information
John was born at Glammis, Kincardine Township, Bruce County, Ontario on 31 December 1919. His father was a farmer born Glammis and his mother born at Cargill, Ontario. He had three sisters, Marjory, Velma and Grace. The schools he attended were S.S#.1 Kincardine Township, Ontario.1927-1932 (Entrance); Paisley Con.school Ontario 1932-1936 (Jnr Matric and part Senior). John’s sport interests were softball, hockey, skating and tobogganing. From 1936 until enlistment John worked on the farm with his father. Before enlistment he was at #10 Basic Training Centre, Kitchener. Pte. 28 August 1941-15 September 1941. |
He enlisted at London, Ontario on 16 September 1941, embarking from Canada on 21 August 1942. He arrived in the U.K. at 3PRC on 2 September 1942, 20 OTU on 21 September 1942, 1652 CU 30 December 1942, 102 Sqn 18 February 1943, 1658 CU 11 March 1943 and 78 Squadron 7 April 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/80 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/79 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-10-1943 |
End Date | 23-10-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Breighton |
Day/Night Raid | Night |
Operation | Kassel. 569 aircraft, 43 losses (7.6%), due to the German controller correctly assessing that the raid was on Kassel. Blind H2S marking overshot the target but 8 out of 9 visual markers were accurate. German decoy markers drew off some of the main force but otherwise the raid was exceptionally accurate and concentrated leading to a firestorm. Over 26000 homes were destroyed and a further 26000 damaged. Some 63% of housing in the city became unusable, resulting in 100-120,000 people being displaced. The number of industrial, public and military buildings destroyed are too numerous to list Of particular note, however, was that the railway system was badly damaged and the three Henschel factories which produced the V1 bomb were all seriously damaged. This certainly pegged back the V1 deployment capability significantly. The number of dead was around 5600 |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Vörden, Germany |