The search is on for relatives of a Teesside World War Two RAF Lancaster crew member ahead of Remembrance Sunday next weekend.
Middlesbrough-born bomb aimer, John Joseph Knowles was killed on board an Avro Lancaster aircraft which was heading to Germany on March 5 1944.
This was flight engineer, Ronald Hoole’s first mission which was heading to Stuttgart.
Unfortunately, the crew, who were flying as part of 49 Squadron based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, were killed when they were shot down by a German night fighter.
Just over 70 years on, Ronald’s niece, Louise Dexter, 50, from Hook in Hampshire, is now trying to track down the family members of the rest of the seven crew members, having already made contact with the families of five of them.
John Joseph Knowles was born in Allen Street in Middlesbrough in February 1921. John was the only child of John Joseph, an army solider and decorator and Mary Minnie Knowles nee Blakeburn.
John Joseph married Toriye Kusumoto in Willesden in London in July 1943 but sadly John was killed eight months later when the bomber was shot down.
Next weekend, on Remembrance Sunday, Louise will be meeting with all of the relatives of the crew members.
She is hoping that The Gazette’s readers may be able to help her track down the family of John Joseph Knowles ahead of the remembrance ceremony.
The families of the brave airmen have planned to meet at the Bomber Command Memorial in London’s Green Park to lay wreaths for the crew as well as for the other 55,573 aircrew who were killed flying with Bomber Command during the Second World War.
Louise said: “I would like to inform John’s relatives about the memorial that has been erected for him and his crew.
“We really want John’s relatives to know that he is being remembered by the other families of the crew. It means a great deal to us for them to know that he has not been forgotten. John is being remembered for his bravery and sacrifice.
“The seven men never got a medal and so as a family group we will make sure that those seven men are remembered.”
Anyone with information about John Joseph Knowles can contact Louise on 07717536611 or email Louise@RoseCottage2008.co.uk.
No comments:
Post a Comment