John Frederick Tritton

Extract from Bomber Commands post war records:-

Stirling BK767 Information

Type: Stirling

Serial Number: BK767

Squadron: 214

X1D: BU-L

Operation: Gelsenkirchen

Date 1: 25th June 1943

Date 2: 26th June 1943

Further Information

"Serial Range BK759 - BK784. 26 Stirling Mk.111. Part of a batch of 150 Short S.29 Stirling Mk.1/111. BK592-BK628; BK644-BK647 (41) Mk.1; BK648-BK667; BK686-BK727; BK759-BK784; BK798- BK818 (109) Mk.111. Delivered by Austin Motors Ltd between Mar43 and May43. Contract No.B982939/39. Delivered to No.214 Sqdn 31May43. Airborne 2348 25Jun43 from Chedburgh. Shot down by a night-fighter (Oblt Ludwig Meister, 1./NJG4) and crashed 0145 at Aalten (Gelderland), some 46 km ESE of Arnhem and a mere 4 km N of Holland's border with Germany at the village of Hemden. Those killed are buried in Aalten (Berkenhove) General Cemetery alongside twelve British soldiers, killed in the last days of Mar45. Sgt B.H.Church KIA Sgt W.H.Thompson KIA Sgt E.G.Taylor PoW P/O J.F.Tritton KIA F/O K.A.Neilson RNZAF PoW Sgt W.T.Davis KIA Sgt F.Mills KIA F/O K.A.Neilson was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.1661. Sgt E.G.Taylor in Camps L6/357, PoW No.261. "