John Kinlay was born on the 3rd February 1920 in Southampton, England and went to Australia when he was 4 years old. On leaving school he worked for T S Gill & Sons, a glass merchants in Melbourne, progressing from the Storeroom to the Accounts Department.

During the war he enlisted in the RAAF and was accepted for aircrew being trained as a Wireless Operator before being posted to England with rank of Flight Sergeant.

Flight Sergeant Kinlay was then posted to 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit at Blyton as Wireless Operator in the crew of Flying Officer M T L Watson RAAF. This crew completed the final stage of their training on the 15th September 1943 and was posted to 460 Squadron at Binbrook. Flying Officer Watson flew as second pilot on an operation to Hannover with another crew on the night of the 22/23rd September 1943. Sadly this aircraft failed to return and so Watson's crew were left without a pilot or "headless" as it was known in the Bomber Command.

Flight Sergeant Kinlay took part in an operation on the 8th October 1943, also to Hannover, flying as a "spare bod" with a crew from 12 Squadron based at Wickenby, which was successfully completed. Flying Officer Watson's old crew returned to a Heavy Conversion Unit, this time 1667 at Faldingworth, in October 1943 and Johnny Kinlay and the others were lucky to be get a very experienced new pilot and navigator.

The pilot was Squadron Leader J A Whittet, who had flown Bristol Blenheims on operations with 15 Squadron and Wellingtons with 37 Squadron, the latter in the UK and the Middle East. The navigator was Flying Officer D P L O'Neil-Shaw who had also flown operations on Wellingtons with 37 Squadron in the Middle East. Both men were very capable.

After completion of a further period of training with their new pilot and navigator the crew were posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on the 11th November 1943.

103 Squadron
At this stage in the war Bomber Command had just started a most exacting series of operations known as the Battle of Berlin which was to last throughout the winter of 1943/44. Many heavy raids were undertaken against the German capital and also major industrial cities deep inside Germany. These raids proved extremely demanding and dangerous for the aircrews involved. The targets were heavily defended and, at this time, the German defences were highly organised and formidable.

Squadron Leader Whittet and his new crew were now to be committed throughout the coming months to a series of very difficult operations.

The crew now consisted of: -

Squadron Leader J A Whittet RAF.

Sergeant K A Duddell RAF.

Flying Officer D P L O'Neil-Shaw RAF.

Sergeant G T Bishop RAF.

Flying Officer W D S Jackson RAF.

Flight Sergeant J E Kinlay RAAF.

Sergeant F Watt RAF.

The four NCOs inS/L Whittet's crew, from left to right, Sgt J Watts, rear gunner, Sgt G T Bishop, mid upper gunner, F/Sgt J E Kinlay, radio operator and Sgt K A Duddell, flight engineer

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