John Wilkinson was the wireless operator in Vernon Byers’s aircraft, AJ-K, on the Dams Raid. This was the third aircraft to take off on the night of 16 May, and the first to be lost. Off course, it crossed the Dutch coast at Texel Island, a well known flak position, and was shot down.
This photograph was sent to me by John Cotterill, whose father was a good friend of John Wilkinson’s. It was given to him in 1993 by John Wilkinson’s brother, Tom, when the two met up for the first time in 43 years. I have also posted details on a new page on the Breaking the Dams website, which you can find here.
Dambusters Blog 
Hello,
Just to inform you that the aircraft and crew is listed in my “WW-II Allied Aircraft Crashes in The Netherlands” database (available via http://ww2.texlaweb.nl )
Jan
John was my wife’s Uncle, her father last saw John when he came home with other members of the crew to celebrate his 21st birthday, that’s the last time he saw his brother – we’d love to know more as his body was never recovered we only know he was shot down off the Isle of Texel on the Dutch coast.
Pete
p.morris01@virgin.net