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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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257 crest
24th January 1945 257 Squadron Typhoon IB PD464 Fl/Lt. Lunn

Operation: interdiction

Date: 24th January 1945 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 257 Squadron (motto: Thay myay gyee shin shwe hti - 'Death or glory') 146 Wing. 84 Group. Second Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon IB

Serial: PD464

Code: FM-V

Base: B70. Deurne, Belgium

Location: Vuren, Netherlands

Pilot: Fl/Lt. John Davis Lunn NZ/416864 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 15:00 hrs. on an interdiction over Rotterdam, but as the target was obscured by cloud successfully attacked a railway bridge south west of Utrecht being the secondary target.

On reforming and climbing the squadron came under intense flak. His aircraft was seen to explode in the air with the wreckage falling on the north bank of the river Waal. He was buried there in the village cemetery

The squadron lost another on this operation:

Typhoon IB PD495 ZY-B flown by F/O. M.J. Cheyney thought to have been hit by flak, force landed 8 miles South East of Borken just over the border in Germany. Taken PoW but survived the war.

Burial and personal details:

Fl/Lt. John Davis Lunn. Vuren General Cemetery. (The only Commonwealth grave in the cemetery). Born on the 23rd May 1921 at Alexandra.Worked as a bank officer for the National Bank of New Zealand prior to service. Enlisted at Rongatai on the 10th December 1941.Trained in Canada and awarded his pilot badge and commissioned on the 22nd January 1943. Attached to 55 Operational Unit on the 18th May 1943 for training on the Hurricane. Also served in 156 and 195 squadron. Joined 257 squadron on the 17th February 1944. Son of John Lunn and of Joan Hammond Lunn (née Davis), of Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand. 527 flying hours logged and on his 122nd operational sortie.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 31-03-2021

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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