John Sanders

 

John Sanders

By the time of the 1939 Register, John Sanders was living with his parents at 42 Sabastopol Street.  John was born in 1922, he was the son of  Leslie H. and Margaret Sanders.  

John's occupation at the time of the 1939 Register was recorded as a General Post Officer Messenger.  

John had enlisted with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and served with the 207 Squadron. 

RAF Langar, Nottinghamshire

RAF Langar was a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Langar, Nottinghamshire.  Having been established during 1942, it was used by bother the RAF and United States Army Air Force.  During the war, it was primarily used as a troop carrier transport airfield. 

In September 1942, the first flying unit to arrive was the No. 207 Squadron, they came from RAF Bottlesford.  With them, they brought Avro Lancaster bombers.  No.207 was a major Bomber Command, and it participated in major bombing raids in occupied Europe.

No.207 Squadron reformed in November 1940, at RAF Waddington, the squadron was assigned the task of the introduction of ill-fated Avro Manchester, from there they moved to RAF Bottlesford, where the Avro Manchester was replaced by Avro Lancaster.  Owing to the runaway surface at Bottlesford breaking up and in need of repairs, the squadron moved to RAF Langar.  From there, the squadron became the first occupant of the newly RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire in October 1943.

November 25th, 1942, taking off at 3 pm, Avro Lancaster R5694, of No. 207 Squadron took from RAF Lanager heading for a bombing raid at Bad Zwischenahn, Germany.  It was here that the largest the biggest Luftwaffe airbase was in northern Germany. It was here that Luftwaffe pilots, flew during May 1940 to attack both the Netherlands and the UK.

Avro Lancaster

Following the raid, R5694, is thought the aircraft is to have struck higher ground and clipped trees near Green Lodge, Easton, nr. Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Upon impact with the ground, the aircraft burst into flames, and 7 of all the crew were killed and the 8th died from his injuries a few days later.

Five of the crew were buried locally at St. Mary the Virgin, Bottesford, the other 3 were repatriated back to their families in Nottingham, Winchester, and Swansea.

The crew were.

Pilot – Flight Lieutenant, Raymund Joseph Hannah DFC, 25, from Wellington, New Zealand

Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – Sergeant Bryant Leonard McKenzie Jenkin, 24, served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and came from Taranaki, New Zealand.

Navigator – Flight Sergeant John Kennerleigh Barnett, 26, from Exeter

Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – Sergeant Albert Roberts, 21, from Liverpool

Flight Engineer – Sergeant Peter John Thompson, 21, from Buckinghamshire

Air Gunner – Sergeant John Bernard Burton, 21, from Nottingham.  Buried at Nottingham Northern Cemetery

Air Gunner – Sergeant Ernest Raymond Donald Piper, 19, from Winchester.  Buried at Winchester Magdalen Hill Cemetery

John Sanders
Danygraig Cemetery

Air Gunner – Sergeant John Sanders, 20, from Swansea.  Buried at Danygraig Cemetery.

South Wales Daily Post

The South Wales Daily Post reported on John's death and his previous raids that he had taken part in