John Notley (1925 - 1944)
The youngest of the men commemorated on the Memorial (by just one month), John served with 166 Squadron in Bomber Command. He was killed along with four other members of his crew when their Avro Lancaster was shot down during an operation against Dortmund on the night of 22/23 May 1944. Two other crew members managed to bail out and became Prisoners of War.
- 82
- Died in the Second World War
- 51.969929, 1.012829
Details
| Name: | John Wager Notley |
| Service: | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
| Squadron: | 166 Squadron |
| Service Number: | 1867212 |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Date of Death: | 23rd May 1944 |
| Age: | 19 |
| Commemorated: | Plot 7, Row F, Grave 3, Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, near Kleve, Germany |
This page is under construction
John is currently the only man commemorated on the Memorial whose exact link with East Bergholt has not yet been established. He was born in Grundisburgh (north of Ipswich) and had close family who lived in Mistley and also Brantham. The only place that we know for certain where John resided prior to joining the R.A.F., was Ipswich in 1939.
In order to try and tell the story of John’s life as fully as possible, a request has been submitted to the Ministry of Defence for a copy of his Service Record.
Due to the exceptionally high volume of requests that the Ministry are currently receiving, it looks as if it will be the end of this year (or later) before a copy of the document is released.
It is hoped to include John’s story here, at some point during 2025. In the meantime, if you would like further information about John’s life then please feel free to get in touch.
Mark Ashmore
February 2024
- 82
- Died in the Second World War
- 51.969929, 1.012829