Pilot Officer William John Drew

44 Squadron RAFVR

Early Life

William (better known as John) Drew was born in 1910, the son of William Joseph and Emma Drew. Wiiliam senior was a waiter from Devonport, Devon and Emma was a cook from Dartmoor. Around the time William was born the family were living at 42 Arnold Road in woking. They later lived at The Dell in Janoway Hill.

William attended the county school from 1921 and played cricket for the school and the post office where he worked as a clerk after leaving school until at least 1939.

Military Career

John enlisted with the RAFVR and learned to fly in California. Whilst there he became good friends with the Sherlock Holmes actor Basil Rathbone.

John was gazetted as a Pilot Officer on 14 June 1943 (service number 155245) and was posted to 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron based at RAF Dunham Lodge in Lincolnshire. The squadron was equipped with Hampdens and Lancasters and had been renamed in 1941 to honour the fact that some 25% of the crews were Rhodesians.

On 18 August 1943 John prepared for his eighth operational flight. Mk III Lancaster JA897 had only been delivered to 44 Squadron five weeks earlier but had already logged 93 flying hours. The target that night was Peenemunde, a V-2 rocket site in Northern Germany.

The plane took to the air from Dunholme Lodge at 2201. Over North East germany the aircraft was spotted by Lt. Peter Spoden's night fighter flying from Griefswald. The Lancaster was hit by cannon fire between the inner and outer port engines setting the fuel tank alight. The aircraft crashed at Forst hagen between Hangshagen and Griefswald at 0150 killing six of the crew. One crew member (Sgt. W. Sparks) survived and was taken prisoner. Two other 44 Squadron Lancasters were lost on the mission.

The first news that William's mother recieved back home was that William was posted missing and she informed the Woking News and Mail of rumours that he had been taken prisoner. Perhaps this was more in hope than anything else because further enquiries of the War Office and Red Cross led nowhere.

William has no known grave and is remembered on the RAF memorial at Runnymede (panel 131).

If you have any further information or corrections please contact me.