YARRA, John William
| Service Number: | 402823 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 October 1940, Enlisted at Syndey |
| Last Rank: | Flight Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | No. 453 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia, 24 August 1921 |
| Home Town: | Grafton, Clarence Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Grafton Public School |
| Occupation: | Printer |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Flushing, Netherlands, 10 December 1942, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Flight Lieutenant John Yarra Memorial, Runnymede Air Forces Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flight Lieutenant, 402823 | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 402823, No. 453 Squadron (RAAF), Enlisted at Syndey | |
| 22 Apr 1941: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 402823, No. 453 Squadron (RAAF), Embarked fro UK from Sydney |
Help us honour John William Yarra's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Plane was Spitfire Voey 824
16 June 1942 - Awarded DFM
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
On Saturday last Mr. A. E. Yarra, of Armidale, received a letter from the Air Board confirming a previous telegram stating that his son, Flight Lieut. J. W. Yarra, D.F.M., formerly a printer's apprentice on the staff of the "Daily Examiner," was missing, believed to have lost his life in air action on December 10. The letter said the pilot had crashed into the sea two miles off the Flushing coast and was believed to have been killed, but active inquiries were being made to ascertain if there was any chance of his being alive. Mr. Yarra stated that as John was a strong, cool swimmer and of fine stamina and physique, there was a slim chance that, providing he was conscious when he struck the water, he might have been able to swim to land.
By the same post came a photograph of John in a Spitfire which bore eight swastikas and four circled threes, showing that he had shot down eight Germans and four Italians, Above them in large letters on the fuselage was his name for his friend in Grafton, Miss Doreen Brown. "Ned IV.," showing that he had named four of his planes after her. The letter stated that he and Paul Brennan, of Queensland, and another pilot had written a book, "Spitfires over Malta," which is to be published soon.
Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW), 22 December 1942
Click images to start slideshow.