Died: Killed by bombs of a crashed British aircraft26
Address / Local links: (in 1939) 32 Sandringham Drive in Bexley. Later at 23 Blendon Drive, Bexleyheath
Family / Relatives: Daughter of John W Easton and Victoria Easton. Sister of Eric Easton
Local Papers / Websites: http://blitzwalkers.blogspot.com/2019/07/
Other Information: A Shorthand Typist before the war
“WAAFS IN DISPATCHES – One Killed In Rescue Efforts” was the short headline in the national papers in the autumn of 1943, but behind the lines lay a tragic – yet heroic – local story about Section Officer Joan Marjorie Easton…
Here is her story.
Joan Marjorie Easton
Joan was born on the 30th May 1917, the daughter of John Ogilvy Hood Easton (1893 – 1981) and Victoria Clementina nee Jamieson (1896 – 1973). John was born in Greenwich and Victoria was born in Bridge nr Canterbury. They were married in 1916 at St Thomas Church, Charlton. John was an engineer. She had a brother Eric, John (1921 – 1941) who was tragically killed when the plane he was flying fell from altitude and nosed dived to the ground in nearby Bishops Stortford.
Nothing is known about Joan’s early years until the 1939 census which informs us that the family are living at 32 Sandringham Drive, Welling and that she is working as a shorthand typist.
It is not known when Joan joined the WAAF’s but by 1943 she had risen to the rank of Section Officer. She was based at RAF Mepal in Cambridgeshire home to the 75th (NZ) Squadron Bomber Command.
The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force was founded in June 1939 to free up RAF personnel for front line duties. By 1943, the WAAF had 182,000 members. WAAF’s undertook a variety of roles, including compiling weather reports, maintaining aircraft and working in intelligence.
RAF Mepal
“From 1943, Mepal was the operational base of 75 (New Zealand) Squadron. (The site was used after WW2 as a Thor nuclear missile base – the only such nuclear installation in the county)…The site is now a light industrial estate and auctioneer’s premises. Some land returned to agricultural use.
There is a small airfield memorial at the entrance to the industrial estate and a 75 Squadron memorial garden in Mepal village”.
On the evening of the 8th September 1943 the squadron received their orders to bomb port facilities at Boulogne. As the heavily laden bombers took off for their destination one of the planes hit a crosswind that caused it to veer off the runway. It hit a fully loaded fuel browser and then ploughed through the perimeter fence into nearby cottages where it burst into flames. The Fire Service and personnel from the base were quickly on the scene, one of these was Section Officer Easton. The blazing bomber still contained a full load of bombs which could explode at any time so speed was of the essence. Amidst this mayhem, Joan and a Flight Sergeant Peter Gerald Dobson (RNZAF) endeavoured to warn the occupants of the cottages and get them to safety. Tragically one of the bombs exploded, killing both Joan and Flt-Sgt Dobson.
In January 1944 it was announced that both Section Officer Easton and Flt-Sgt Dobson had been posthumously Mentioned in Despatches for bravery.
Flight Sergeant Peter Gerald Dobson is buried in the Cambridge City Cemetery.
Three members of the ill-fated aircraft also lost their lives along with two civilians. The three members of the crew who lost their lives as the result of this accident were-
RAFVR Flying Officer Norman Hathway GALE,
RNZAF Flying Officer Ian Robert MENZIES and
RAFVR Sergeant Albert Leslie MELLOR
Many more lives could have been lost if had not been for the courageous action taken by the rescue parties.
For a full account of the incident go to: https://blitzwalkers.blogspot.com/2019/07/heroes-and-heroine-of-charlton.html
Joan was buried in Charlton Cemetery (Sec C. 1st Gen. Joint grave 793). Her brother was also buried in this grave (1941) along with their grandmother Marjorie Easton who died in 1937.
Charlton Cemetery is a cemetery, opened in 1855, covering 15 acres of ground in Charlton, south-east London. Situated in Cemetery Lane to the east of Charlton Park, the cemetery has retained its Victorian layout, and features two 19th-century chapels and numerous military graves.
It was originally created as a “Gentleman’s Cemetery” by Charlton Burial Board on eight acres of land that were formerly part of the estate of Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson. A further seven acres was added in the 20th century
The inscription on Joan’s memorial stone reads:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JOAN MARJORIE EASTON
SECTION OFFICER, W.A.A.F.
AGED 26 YEARS
SHE GAVE HER LIFE 8TH SEPTEMBER 1943
GALLANTLY SAVING OTHERS AND WAS
POSTHUMOUSLY MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES.
“GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS”.
………………………………………………………………..
Pictured, along with images of Joan’s grave, a newspaper cutting about the tragedy, is an aerial shot of RAF Mepal during the war. The other picture is of Flight Sergeant Peter Gerald Dobson, who was killed alongside Joan. (Learn more about him here – https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/207493%20Dobson.pdf)
……………………………………………………………….
If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
As an update to this story, our researcher has recently heard from Christopher, a 5 (NZ) Squadron researcher & author, involved in the New Zealand Bomber Command Association based in Auckland – he also compiles a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E7T1EGTmf/ from which this extra information is added here;
“As the war progressed, members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (the WAAFs) took on more and more vital non-combat roles in Bomber Command – cooks, waitresses, clerks, drivers, radar operators & plotters, aircraft mechanics, armourers, electricians, radio & telephone operators and administrative staff.
Some also went above and beyond their duties …
Section Officer Joan Majorie Easton MiD WAAF 2986
Joan Easton, known as Jo, was born on 30 May 1917 in Charlton, Greenwich, London, the daughter of John & Victoria Easton.
A shorthand typist in civilian life, after war broke out Jo joined the air force and trained at Yatesbury to become a radar operator. WAAF personnel quickly became integral to RAF radar operations, often found to be particularly skilled at the highly concentrated work of interpreting radar signals.
By 1942 she was working on Britain’s early warning radar system, stationed at RAF Stoke Holy Cross Chain Home Radar Station. In mid-1943 she was posted to the newly-opened RAF Station Mepal, with the rank of Section Officer (equivalent to Flying Officer). Although named after the nearby village of Mepal, the airfield was actually right next to the village of Sutton. 75 (NZ) Squadron arrived at Mepal on 28 June, immediately launching into operations, flying Stirlings.
On 8 September, seventeen Stirlings were detailed to carry out a night attack on a long-range gun battery at Boulogne. At five minutes to ten in the evening, Stirling BK809 JN-T, flown by P/O Ian Menzies RNZAF and his crew, got the green light to take off down the runway. As it picked up speed, the Stirling, fully-laden with fuel and 1,000lb and 500lb bombs, swung violently to starboard in the slight cross wind. The pilot appeared to open up the throttles in a vain attempt to regain control, but now well off the runway, the aircraft careered across the airfield, struck a petrol bowser and a petrol tanker parked on the perimeter track, ploughed through a hedge and smashed into two houses on the edge of Sutton village.
Kevin King: “Many years ago I spoke to (pilot) Johnny Grubb RNZAF who was on duty that night in the control tower. He watched ‘ Ming ‘ Menzies taking off. He said the aircraft developed a swing which the pilot was unable to control. Stirlings were very prone to swing and a large number were lost in this way.”
One of the occupants, a Mr P. Smith, had seen the aircraft coming and ran into the street to warn others to get clear. As the aircraft struck the rear of the two houses, it immediately burst into flames.
The captain F/O Ian Menzies RNZAF and the RAF air bomber P/O Norman Gale RAFVR were killed instantly in the fiery crash. The rest of the crew survived, although three were injured, the flight engineer, Sgt Albert Mellor RAFVR most seriously. The navigator, P/O Dereck Cordery RAFVR sustained minor injuries and shock, the wireless operator P/O Ralph Barker RNZAF suffered second degree burns to the hands and face. The two gunners, Sgt G Bullivant RAFVR and F/Sgt Stewart Muir RNZAF, were un-injured.
A Mrs Randall was inside the other house when the Stirling hit. Falling debris trapped her by the legs and the next thing she knew, there were airmen leaping down into her living room! Despite her injuries, she managed to free herself and led the airmen out of the blazing house to safety, through a window, out onto the street. She recognised a man approaching, local fireman Edward Kirby, and warned him of the danger, but he continued on into the wreckage of the house to search for survivors. Her husband John had been in the garden when the plane hit.
Meanwhile others were arriving to help, including Section Officer Jo Easton, who had run from her nearby billet. Off-duty navigator Flight Sergeant Peter Dobson RNZAF happened to be passing, on his way back to base after helping a local farmer with his harvesting, and Corporal Terence King RAF of the Mepal Electrical Section raced from his quarters, to help the occupants of adjacent cottages and to try and rescue survivors.
Special constables and wardens arrived, including Edward Kirby’s wife, who went to find Mr Randall. Special Constable Humphrey arrived on the scene to find an airman lying in the front gateway of one of the houses, warning him to “Get out!”, knowing that the bomb load could go up at any time. As Humphrey attempted to drag him to safety, there was an almighty explosion and something hit him in the shoulder – the High Explosive bombs had gone off and completely demolished both houses, leaving an enormous crater where they once stood. “I think I must have gone to sleep for a short time. When I came round it was raining fire and, brushing sparks off the airman, I dragged him away.” Despite his injured shoulder, Humphrey continued to work at the scene until a doctor told him to rest.
Sadly, S/O Jo Easton, F/Sgt Peter Dobson, fireman Edward Kirby and resident John Randall were all killed when the bombs went off, their bodies found in the rubble the next day. Mrs Kirby survived, although injured in the
blast.
It was a particular tragedy for Jo Easton’s parents, having already lost a son, Hurricane pilot Sgt Eric John Easton, RAFVR, killed in a flying accident on 30 April 1941.
Ironically, Peter Dobson, along with the rest of the Don Whitehead crew, was tour-expired and on leave awaiting his next posting.
Jo Easton and Peter Dobson were both posthumously mentioned in dispatches on 14.1.44, Jo’s citing “many more lives would undoubtedly have been lost had it not been for their quick action” and Peter’s “for bravery in action and
meritorious fulfilment of duty”.
Corporal Terence King survived the incident and was awarded the British Empire Medal for his bravery that night.
Cpl Terence Henry King BEM RAF 610334. ELECT 1, Electrical Section
British Empire Medal (24 Dec 1943) Citation: “In September 1943, an aircraft which was taking off with a load of bombs crashed into two houses on the edge of an airfield and burst into flames. Corporal King hurried to the scene and, although fully aware that high explosive bombs were likely to explode at any moment, he went to the cottages a few yards from the burning aircraft to warn the occupants of their imminent danger and render assistance. An injured man was found and while Corporal King, with the help of a civilian, was taking him to safety a bomb exploded. The bravery shown by Corporal King was instrumental in saving a life and many more lives might have been lost had it not been for his prompt action in helping to warn occupants of the nearby houses. “
Christopher has also discovered the photos of Jo and her comrades from a publication ‘Memories of RAF Witchford’, by Sue & Barry Aldridge.
Once again, we’re grateful to Christopher for supplying all this extra information all the way from New Zealand, and to our researcher for tracking him down!
Commemorated
- Welling War Memorial
- Charlton Cemetery
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Joan Majorie Easton, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.