John Wilson

04/01/1922 – 08/02/1945 – aged 23

John Wilson was born on the 4th January 1922 in Whalley Range. He transferred to St Bede’s on the 17th September 1936, aged 14. He was a keen cricketer, representing the school team as a fast bowler and developing batsman. He left the College on the 15th July 1939 to pursue a career with the Civil Service. 

He joined the RAF in late 1941, and visited the College shortly before commencing his training. He was sent to Rhodesia in 1942 to train as a pilot but an eye-defect was soon discovered, and he was assigned to ground duties. He went back a second time to train as an observer in Canada. This tim,e he was successful and returned to England in June 1944 with the rank of Sergeant. He was assigned to Bomber Command, 57 Squadron and was posted as a Navigator as part of a seven-man aircrew on board a Lancaster Bomber under the command of Flying Officer Clifton. The plane took off from RAF East Kirby at 17.03 hours on the 8th February 1945, detailed to attack the synthetic oil production plant at Politz. They crossed the Channel and entered Swedish airspace, where they were hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed just outside Helsingborg. The entire air crew were killed on impact, including John. He was twenty-three years old.