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Operation: Canal barges
Date: 05th March 1945 (Monday)
Unit: No. 111 Squadron (motto: Adstantes - 'Standing by')
Type: Spitfire IX
Serial: PT410
Code: JU-R
Base: Ravenna, Italy
Location: Cavarzere, Italy
Pilot: W/O. John Henry Coates 1147865 RAFVR Age 24. Initially missing - believed killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Sq/Ldr. Basil Frederick Gooch Darby 121281 RAFVR flying Spitfire IX SM170 'Yellow' section took off at 06:30 hrs with 5 others to attack and bomb 20 barges on a canal. They were over the target at 06:55 hrs.
The section bombed the target but missed the barges with bombing falling south of the canal but hit some buildings.
During the dive bombing W/O. Coates was hit by flak, hit the ground and exploded. The other pilots reported that mostly inaccurate flak from 20mm and 40mm flak and the same from 88mm flak positions. The five others returned to base at 07:30 hrs.
In October 2017 the members of the Romagna Air Finders, an organisation which recovers WW2 aircraft. discovered the Spitfire and found that the pilot was still in the cockpit. DNA samples extracted from the pilots remains were matched with a relative (a niece ,Helen Watts who lives in York, North Yorkshire, UK) which allowed the pilot to be identified as W/O. John Coates.
His family attend his funeral along with regimental representatives and local dignitaries. He received a funeral with full military honours on the 27th March 201 at Padua War Cemetery, close to where his Spitfire crashed.
Burial details:
W/O. John Henry Coates - originally remembered on the Malta Memorial. Padua War Cemetery. Grave VI.B.9. Born in 1921 and had worked as a draughtsman in York prior to service. Son of John and Eliza Coates, and brother of Molly Dearlove of York, England. Epitaph: '.Blue Skies Forever Rest In Peace Harry Never Forgotten By Family'.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the National Archives Kew. AIR-27-870-28/29. Romagna Air Finders
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KTY 13-01-2024
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