The Shields Daily News 27/02/1945 reports:
“Shields Flight Engineer killed.
Flight engineer Sergt. John Malcolm, a 20-year-old North Shields flyer, has been killed as a result of air operations carried out earlier this month.
His body together with those of six other members of the crew, was recovered from the wrecked Lancaster aircraft and buried in a Brussels cemetery.
The youngest son of the late Mr. G. Malcolm of 6 Spence Terrace, he joined the R.A.F. two years ago and previous to this he was serving an apprenticeship as a fitter at Smith’s Dock. He received his education at the Ralph Gardner School.
Sergeant Malcolm has five brothers in the Forces – George in the Royal Navy, Magnus and James, Royal Navy, Thomas in the Army and and Andrew in the Royal Air Force.”
Sgt. Malcolm was serving with 15 Squadron. He was a crew member of Lancaster I HK620 LS-W which took off from Mildenhall for Krefeld, unusually with 9 crew on board, including two pilots and three gunners, to bomb Hohenbudberg railway yards. All 9 were killed.
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1945; W.R. Chorley; 1998; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 0 904597 92 X
Tony Hibberd adds that "The unusual crew make up included two Pilots and three Air Gunners".
