Leithead, John Chalmers
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | John Chalmers |
Surname | Leithead |
Gender | M |
Age | 26 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 18-03-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Elsford Leithead and Janie Ethel Leithead (née Scott), of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. Husband of Mary Muriel Leithead (née Urquhart, of Stellarton, Nova Scotia), whom he married on 8 June 1942 at Toronto. Father of Judith Ann Leithead. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | de Havilland Mosquito IV |
Serial Number | DZ647 |
Markings | P3-B |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hanover War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 6. E. 14. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 198 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/27829 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to former Main Entrance, Graveley, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone Inscribed Slate Tablet |
Memorial Text | A memorial to 692 Sqn and 35 Sqn which flew from RAF Graveley during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
John was born at New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on 6 December 1917. His father was born at Lyon’s Brook, Nova Scotia and worked as a Railroad fireman and his mother was born at River John. He had one brother, Earl. He attended the Westside School between 1924- 1929 and then Lyons Brook school between 1929-1934. He enjoyed most outdoor sports and his hobby was reading as well as swimming and skating. John worked as a Linotype operator for Don Fraser of the Eastern Chronicle between 1934-1937 and then for Scotia Printers between 1937-1941 when he enlisted. |
He enlisted on 21 July 1941 and after training embarked for the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 20 September 1943. He went to 28 OTU on 12 October 1943, and 11 Base on 31 December 1943. Sadly John lost his life from 692 Squadron on 18 March 1944 when the Mosquito in which he and his navigator were flying was shot down. John and his RAF navigator, Joseph Burke, had only arrived at the squadron that morning. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2216/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2216/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 18-03-1944 |
End Date | 19-03-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Graveley |
Day/Night Raid | Night (37% moon) |
Operation | Frankfurt. 846 aircraft, 22 losses (2.6%). The German controller split the fighters- half went to the diversionary raid at Heligoland and the others met the Frankfurt bomber stream, although cloud preventing them making much of an impact. PFF marking was accurate leading to heavy bombing in central, eastern and western districts. Later bombing was scattered, but this was normal for such a large force due to creepback and also the fact that inexperienced bomber crews were placed at the back of the stream. Lots of cultural buildings were destroyed along with around 5500 houses, 99 industrial premises and 56 public buildings. 421 civilians killed and 55500 bombed out |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed in the vicinity of the target |