CRONE, John Henry
| Service Number: | 419521 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 August 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia, 8 December 1923 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Accidental, United Kingdom, 17 January 1945, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom Collective grave 15951-15955 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, St. Arnaud High School Roll of Honour WW2 |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flying Officer, 419521 | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 419521 |
15 Squadron
John Crone served with 15 Squadron which was based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. On the 17th of January 1945 at 21:30 hours. Lancaster I PB802, Code LS:F, contacted the ground at an angle of approximately 90°during a bombing cross country exercise just west of Harling, Norwich, England. All of the crew were killed.
John was buried in a Collective grave 15951-15955, Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire. He was a pilot and aged 21 years. Son of Clifford and Agnes Crone, of Donald, Victoria, Australia.
The crew of Lancaster I PB802 were: Flying Officer John Henry Crone 419521 Pilot RAAF. Sergeant Richard Devlin 1881244 Flight Engineer RAFVR. Flying Officer Harry Harold Freedman 176265 Air Gunner RAFVR. Flying Officer William Ernest Fuller 176263 Air Gunner. Sergeant George Russell Lake 1183934 Navigator RAFVR.
Pilot Officer Lex Maitland Riordan 426468 RAAF. Flight Sergeant Leonard Richard Wilkins 1801112 RAFVR. All members of the crew were killed in the crash and all are buried together in the communal grave.
Submitted 8 March 2023 by Pauline Graves
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