• Vergeltungswaffe 1

Date of birth:

April 5th, 1916

Service number:

1382972 (NCO)/156558(Officer)

Nationality:

British (1801-present, Kingdom)

John Costello enlisted into the Royal Air Force on 16 December 1940 and served as a Flight Sergeant (Navigator) serving with 49 Squadron.
While serving with 463 Squadron RAAF his Lancaster No PB804 was shot-down by enemy Flak on 21 February 1945. 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. 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 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 hostilitied he continued his service with the RAF and he earned his GSM (Near East) when he took part in the Suez Crisis of 1956, it is thought presumably as a Mosquito NF Mk36 Night –Fighter Navigator.

Promotions:
Flight Sergeant
4 August, 1943: Pilot Officer (probation/emergency)
4 February, 1944: Flying Officer (war sub)
1 July, 1946: Flying Officer (permanent)
4 February, 1947: Flight Lieutenant
1 February, 1958: Retirement (as Squadron Leader)

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• - Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36207 published on the 8 October 1943
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36211 published on the 12 October 1943
  - Fourt Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36361 published on the 1 February 1944
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37337 published on the 2 November 1945
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37851 published on the 10 January 1947
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37883 published on the 14 February 1947
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 41315 published on the 14 February 1958
  - Medals of England
  - The Lancaster & Manchester Bomber Archive