John Gordon Jannings (E 36) was born on 8th October 1922 at Golders Green, Middlesex. On 29th June 1944, the Handley-Page Halifax bomber he was flying was shot down and he was killed along with his crew, all of whom are buried in France at Legnes, Aisne. In the 1990s, a small group of OHs visited the grave of John and his fellow airmen; a report of their trip, featured in our 2006 Annual Report, is given below.
About the grave of Flyng Officer John Jannings
John lies with his fellow crew members in the churchyard at Lesges, a small village about 10 miles (16 kilometres) south-east of Soissons on the road from Soissons to Reims (GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.30656, Longitude: 3.50548).
From left to right, the plot contains the entire crew of that ill-fated Halifax, as follows:
John Gordon Jannings (E 36)
Flying Officer (Pilot) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Sqdn. Age: 21. Service No: 151458A
Jack Edward Beeson
Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Sqdn. Age: 20. Service No: 1874381Colin Francis Poole
Sergeant (W. Op. Air) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Sqdn. Age: 21. Service No: 1576962
Robert Logie Givens
Flight Sergeant (Nav.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Sqdn. Age: 24 Service No: 1368438
Charles Burleigh Acourt
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force 76 Sqdn. Service No: 649091
Thomas Wellwood Thompson
Flying Officer (Air Bomber) Royal Canadian Air Force 76 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Age: 28. Service No: J/25699
Ronald Paul Lucas
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 76 Sqdn. Age: 20. Service No: 1895744
The grave itself lies in the south-eastern part of the churchyard, near the southern boundary; John’s grave is furthest left in the photograph below.
About the Handley-Page Halifax
The Handley-Page Halifax was one of Britain’s three strategic heavy bombers of the Second World War, flying alongside the Short Stirling and the famous Avro Lancaster. Capable of carrying a bomb load of 13,000lb, it was also used in a range of other duties including as a glider tug during the D-Day landings, service with Coastal Command, and as a freighter during the Berlin Air Lift. Over 6000 examples of the type were built in various forms; surviving complete examples can be seen at Elvington near York and at Trenton, Ontario. A less complete Mk1 Halifax can be seen at the RAF Museum at Hendon.
Image of John’s grave courtesy of WW2 Cemeteries and In Memory, two websites dedicated to those who died in WW2 .
Image of Halifax bomber courtesy of Wikipedia (Public Domain)
About the Roll of Honour
The information in this article forms part of a wider project for Old Haileyburians to submit information of family members who died on military service and who are commemorated in our Roll of Honour. Our Roll of Honour page enables you also to supply information about your own family members who died on active service.