Gladish, John Joseph
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | John Joseph |
Surname | Gladish |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 31-03-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Paul Gladish and Mary Gladish (née Owsiana), of St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster X |
Serial Number | KB869 |
Markings | VR-Q |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Becklingen War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 13. A. 4. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 170 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/39988 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Gladish Lake, Manitoba; 20km NW of Lake Winnipeg |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Outside Former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Memorial Tablet on Stone Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to Nos 419, 420 and 428 Sqns RCAF who flew from RAF Middleton St George during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
John was one of thirteen children, three of whom had died. He was born on 1 March 1923 at St. Boniface, Manitoba. Both parents were born in Poland and his father had worked as a moulder. He had seven sisters and five brothers. Three of the brothers, Joseph, Frank and Stanley had sadly all died under the age of three years. John attended King George V school (grade 9) and Norwood Collegiate (grades 9-11). He also went to the Dominion Business College 1941-1942. He enjoyed playing hockey and baseball. During the school summer holidays he worked as a carpenter for Johanson Brothers in Winnipeg. |
John enlisted on 8 December 1942 and after training was posted to the U.K. He embarked from Halifax on 10 April 1944 and arrived at 3 PRC on 19 April, from there he went to 1(0)AFU. 6 June 1944, 24 OTU 11 July 1944, 61 Base 18 October 1944, 1664 CU 18 December 1944 and 419 Squadron 31 December 1944. John sadly lost his life on 31 March 1945. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1823/30 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1823/29 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 31-03-1945 |
End Date | 31-03-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Hamburg to attack the Blohm and Voss shipbuilding yards, where a new class of U-boats was being assembled. 469 aircraft, 11 lost due to a surprise appearance of the new Me 262 jet-propelled fighter. It was it's only appearance in fact. The target was completely cloud-covered so bombing was scattered throughout Hamburg with little damage to the intended target |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a jet-propelled fighter (Me 262) south of Hamburg and crashed near Harburg |