John Swainston
Date of birth: 7.7.1921
Date of death: 12.12.1944
Area: Wrenthorpe
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Family information: Son of Wilfred and Elsie Miller (previously Mrs Swainston)
Rank: Flight Engineer
Service number: 1121382
War Service
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Sergeant John Swainston was Flight Engineer 1121382 of the RAFVR 15th Squadron. He was the son of Wilfred and Elsie Miller of Wakefield who died aged 23 on 12th December 1944.
By 1944 15 Squadron were based at Mildenhall and were flying with Lancasters. John must have been flying over Germany when he died as he is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Family Life
Register Wilfred and Elsie were living at 26, Barnes Avenue, Wrenthorpe and Jack (the name Jack was often used as a nickname for John) was an iron and steel bar maker in the steel works born on 7th July 1921.
Elsie, his mother, had been born Elsie Taylor but had married Bartholomew Swainston in 1919. Bartholomew had died aged 54 in 1935 and then Elsie Swainston married Wilfred Miller in the third quarter of 1938.
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
