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John Costello
| John Costello (deceased) was born on 5th April 1911 and enlisted into the Royal Air Force on 16 December 1940 and served as a Flight Sergeant (Navigator) serving with 49 Squadron. While with the squadron he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in respect of having flown 24 sorties (162.30 hours) including operations on Berlin, Italy, Stettin, Pilzen, Peenemünde in August 1943 and joined 463 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. and was promoted to Flying Officer but on the night of 21/22 February, 1945 his Lancaster returning from an attack on the Mittelland Canal was shot down by enemy Flak Of the 8 crew on board 5 bailed out from the burning aircraft, however 3 including to Pilot W/C W A Forbes DSO, DFC died when the Lanc crashed into a forest near Mehrinngen, Germany. He stayed at large for 3 days before being captured and went to Dula Luft Oberursel, before going to Stalag XIIID Nuremburg from 5 March 1945 - 4 April 1945 and lastly at Stalag VIIA Mooseburg between 18 April 1945 until liberation on 29 April 1945. At that time he had completed almost two full tours on Lancaster bombers. His service included raids on some of Germany’s most heavily defended targets including Dortmund Ems Canal and La Pallice U-Boat shelters and also the V1 rocket sites and Coastal batteries and gun emplacements in Normandy prior to the D-DAY landings. He was on many occasions ‘Nav, Leader’ for his squadron. After the end of hostilities he continued his service with the RAF and he earned his GSM (Near East) when he took part in the Suez Crisis of 1956, Sadly passing away in 2000, |
