John Coaker

John Coaker was born in late 1920 to George Coaker and Edith Amy Newman, John had a younger brother Walter. The family lived at Lower Town, Leusdon.

John was educated at Leusdon School and upon leaving at the age of 14 worked as a farm labourer.

Like many young men at that time John volunteered for the Armed forces. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

John trained as an Air Gunner and as part of his training flew on night raids over Germany. It was Royal Air Force policy for bomber crews to be chosen by the pilot of the aircraft. This meant that at the end of their training the trainees were gathered together and crews of 7 were selected by the pilot of the aircraft. This method enabled men who had trained together to fly together as bomber crew., thus creating the necessary bonding between the crew members. The crew remained as a unit throughout their flying career.

On 18th February 1943, a Lancaster Bomber of 61 Squadron with a full crew of 7, based at RAF Syerston in Lincolnshire took off on a long cross-country training flight. After 7 hours of flying, fire broke out in the inner starboard engine, which, despite their best efforts the crew failed to put out. Unfortunately, the plane crashed near the village of Staunton in the Vale in Nottinghamshire.

John Coaker and the other 6 members of the crew were all killed.

John is commemorated with a Commonwealth War Grave Headstone in the churchyard of St John The Baptist Church, Leusdon and on the special war memorial in the village of Staunton-in-the-Vale in Nottinghamshire.