The Airmen's Stories - P/O J A Keard

John Alexander Keard, from Sidcup, Kent was born on 26th December 1920, the son of Alexander Keard (1874-1943) and Daisy Winifred Keard (nee Everest 1885-1969).

Employed as an insurance clerk, he joined the RAFVR about March 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot.

Called up on 1st September, he completed his training and then joined 235 Squadron, operating Blenheims, on 27th September 1940.

He was killed on 4th May 1944 as a Flight Lieutenant with 101 Squadron, operating in Lancasters from Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire. Lancaster ME564 SR-Z came down at Aubeterre, 14km NNE of Troyes on a sortie to Mailly-le-Camp.

101 Squadron Lancasters carried extra crew members to listen in and jam German fighter radio frequencies and flew on raids when other squadrons were rested. 171 aircraft and over 1000 aircrew were lost by the end of the war, one of the highest totals in Bomber Command.

Keard was 23. He is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery, Dieppe.

The other crew members were:

Sgt RWebster KIA
F/O AM Shannon RCAF KIA
Sgt JR Spowart KIA
Sgt RJ Crawford KIA
P/O DC Fraser KIA
Sgt A Clarence KIA
Sgt J.E.Worsfold PoW