Two brothers Lives Lost - A family Shattered

On 21st December 1944 at 16.58hrs John took off from East Kirkby airfield, with 630 Squadron, to take part in an attack on an oil plant in Politz, Poland.

On the return journey home, a blanket of thick fog covered most of Southern England and the pilot was instructed to land elsewhere instead of his home base.

John and his comrades crashed into a hill near Scanfield farm, Winceby, Lincolnshire at 02:50hours, all except one were killed. John was only 20 years old. His parents were Patrick Michael and Victoria Mary Anne Quinlivan.

John was born in Holborn in 1924, he was unmarried and a regular member of the local church congregation at St.Luke’s, Old Street where he occasionally read the lesson.

After leaving school John was employed by a Goldsmith/Jeweller in Clerkenwell before leaving to make parts for armaments at an engineering workshop also in Clerkenwell.

His brother William Patrick Quinlivan, Age 24, was also in the RAF and was killed on the 12th of March 1943, whilst serving with 102 Squadron.

His body was never found and he is remembered on the Runnymede memorial. The loss of two sons had a profound effect on their family and when younger brother Terrence later joined the RAF, he would not wear his uniform at home.