Remembering World War II

Name: John Alan Jefferson Rank: Sergeant Service Number: R/153445 Service: No. 18 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Royal Canadian Air Force Date of Birth: October 10, 1915 Place of Birth: Halifax, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: April 30, 1942 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: 13 Miller Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 26 Height: 5 feet, 6 ½ inches Complexion: Fair Hair Color: Light Brown Eye Color: Hazel Occupation: Postal clerk Marital Status: Married Religion: Roman Catholic Next of Kin: Dorothy Jefferson (wife) Date of Death: January 27, 1944 Age: 28 Cemetery: Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England Grave: Section C, Row J, Grave 18 Commemorated on Page 344 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on July 24 John Alan Jefferson was the son of John Bernard Jefferson (1887-1954) of Halifax and Elizabeth Agnes (Merlin) Jefferson (1890-1968), of Upper Prospect, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Grace Jefferson and Gerald (Jeff) Bernard Jefferson (1918-2001). His father was a cold storage engineer. John was the husband of Dorothy Marguerite (Mosher) Jefferson (1919-2007), also of Halifax. They were married June 26, 1941. His parents lived at 9 Miller Street in Halifax. John and his wife Dorothy lived 2 houses down at 13 Miller St. John’s brother, Lieutenant Gerald Jefferson, was the first detachment commander of the Fortress Company in Newfoundland in 1940 and was responsible for construction of coastal defense battery positions. He then served overseas during the WWII with the Royal Canadian Engineers. After the War, Jeff served in a variety of appointments including Army Headquarters and as Command Engineer in Eastern Command. He retired in 1965 and became Chief Building Inspector for the City of Halifax until 1974 when he moved to private industry as Chief Engineer for Shawmont Limited in Newfoundland until his retirement in 1985. John attended the College Street School until Grade 8 (1922-1929) and completed Grade 8 to 12 at St. Mary’s College and the Halifax Academy (1929-1934). He also completed 1 year of night school at the NS Technical College in Elementary Electricity. Prior to enlistment for active service in WWII, John had served in the Reserves with the Canadian Postal Corps. He noted at enlistment that he enjoyed baseball, hockey, softball, soccer, rugby, and other sports. John trained in Lachine, Quebec, and in Belleville and RCAF Station Malton in Ontario. He embarked in New York August 3, 1943, arriving in England August 11th. John was serving as Navigator on a cross-county night flight in training with the No. 18 Operational Training Unit (OTU), when the Vickers Wellington long-range medium bomber aircraft HE983 on which he was serving crashed at 10:47 pm 1 ¾ miles east southeast of Lound near Retford in Nottinghamshire, England. The aircraft went into a dive at 9000 feet while training at the Clayworth Bombing Range and did not recover. John suffered multiple injuries and was killed in the crash, along with the following four RAF crew: Sergeant Robert Joseph King (Service No. 1321023) Wireless Operator Interred at the Barking (Rippleside) Cemetery (Section W, Grave 555) Sergeant Michael Mullins (Service No. 1600129) Pilot Interred at the Salisbury (London Road) Cemetery (Section M, Grave 209) Sergeant George Prentice (Service No. 1594326) Air Gunner Interred at the Sharlston (St. Luke) Churchyard (Row C, Grave 40) Sergeant William Roy (Service No. 1456668) Air Bomber Interred at the Dinsdale (St. John The Baptist) Cemetery (Left of Church Gate) Sergeant John Alan Jefferson’s funeral was held on at 11:30 am on Wednesday, February 2, 1944. He is interred at the Stonefall Cemetery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, and is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, Alberta.

John Allan Jefferson

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial Commonwealth War Graves Commission findagrave