John Evans (1922-1943)

Second World War Roll of Honour

John Evans was born on 27 August 1922, the son of Captain George Henry Evans and Gladys Amy (nee Parlby) of Regent's Park in London. He was educated at Dulwich College from 1936 to 1940, where he was a boarder in The Orchard. He was a member of the Rugby XV in 1939 and 1940, playing at fly half, and was Captain in his last term. He was also a member of the 2^nd Cricket XI and served as a Company Sergeant Major in the Officer Training Corps. He won the school half mile and was later Captain of Marlowe House. He matriculated at Downing College as an RAF Cadet in April 1941 and rowed in the 2^nd May Boat in his first term. He was a member of the University Air Squadron and qualified for training as a pilot. After completing his course in Cambridge, he travelled to Canada where he gained his Wings in September 1942. On his return to England, he trained on bombers and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 31 March 1943. He was posted to 9 Squadron.

On the night of 14/15 June 1943, Bomber Command dispatched 197 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitos for an operation on Oberhausen. Pilot Officer Evans and his crew took off from RAF Bardney at 10.56pm on 14 June 1943 in Lancaster Mk III LM329 WS-Q for what would be his fifteenth operation. While they were flying over Holland they were attacked and their aircraft crashed at Oijen (Noord Brabant) on the south bank of the River Maas, seven kilometres from Oss, at 1.55am with loss of the entire crew. Theirs was one of seventeen Lancasters lost during the raid.

Pilot Officer Evans was killed in action of 15 June 1943, aged 20 years old. He is buried at Uden War cemetery and also commemorated on the war memorial at Dulwich College.

Sources

Dulwich College War Record 1939-1945

Image

Reproduced from the Dulwich College War Record, 1939- 1945, with kind permission of Dulwich College Archive.