Skrender, John Brooke, son of Sigard Anne Skrender, paper merchant, of Kingston, Surrey; b. 25 June 1918; adm. Sept. 1931 (H); left July 1935; City & Guilds Coll. Lond., BSc 1940; RAFVR 1940-2 (FO); killed on night operations July 1942.
John Brooke Skrender was born at Sleaford, Lincolnshire on the 25th of June 1918 the elder son of Sigurd Arne Skrender, a paper merchant, and Gwendoline Ruby (nee Simpson) Skrender of 12, Liverpool Road, Kingston Hill in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1931 to July 1935. He went on to the City and Guilds College, London where he achieved a BSc.
On the outbreak of war he was serving as a member of the Civil Air Guard.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Sergeant. He was posted to 150 Squadron.
John Skrender and his crew took off from RAF Snaith at 7.50pm on the 24th of September 1941 in Wellington Mk IC T2960 for an operation on Frankfurt. During the mission the aircraft was badly damaged by anti aircraft fire but was able to return to Snaith where it landed safely at 1.55am.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Wilkinshaw (Pilot)
Sergeant John Brooke Skrender (2nd Pilot) (Killed in action 22nd July 1942)
Sergeant Alfred Wilkinson (Navigator) (Killed in action 28th April 1942)
Flight Sergeant J. C. Leigh
Sergeant Franklin Burton Grundy (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) (Killed in action 28th April 1942)
Sergeant Ronald Marcus Sutton (Air Gunner) (Killed in action 28th April 1942)
He was promoted to Flight Sergeant before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 20th of March 1942.
On the night of the 21st /22nd of July 1942, Bomber Command dispatched 170 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 36 Stirlings, 29 Lancasters and 17 Hampdens for an operation on Duisburg. The cloud cover was 10/10ths from England to the Dutch coast but cleared over the mainland. Mist and industrial haze covered the target area where the bomber force encountered enemy night fighters and moderate anti aircraft fire. 253 of the returning aircraft reported that they had bombed the target but a number of the bombs had fallen on open country to the west of the city. 94 houses were destroyed with a further 256 being seriously damaged. The Tyssen steelworks and other industrial targets were also hit. 49 people were killed on the ground.
John Skrender and his crew took off from RAF Snaith at 11.25pm on the 21st of July 1942 in Wellington Mk III X3590 JN-L for the operation. The aircraft had completed its mission and was two nearly hours into its return journey and was flying at 11,000 feet when the oil pump in the starboard engine seized. John Skrender force landed the stricken bomber at about 2.30am at Burgervlotbruck in North Holland. He was killed in the crash.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer John Brooke Skrender (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Ronald Watson (Navigator) (POW No. 42826 Stalag 344 and Stalag Luft III)
Sergeant William Edward Grimley (Wireless Operator) (Slightly wounded) (POW No. 25147 Stalag 344)
Sergeant Thomas George Richard “Tommy” Allaway (Rear Gunner) (Died of wounds 22nd July 1942)
Sergeant Donald Rupert Coleman (Front Gunner) (Wounded) (POW - repatriated September 1944)
Theirs was one of twelve aircraft which were lost during the raid.
The following telegram, dated the 11th of September 1942, was sent to Mr. J Morris: - “Deeply regret that according to information received through the International Red Cross Committee Pilot Officer John Brooke Skrender is believed to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 22 July 1942. The Air Council express their profound sympathy. His father is being informed.”
Although John Skrender had been killed in the crash landing, Donald Coleman had survived with a fractured skull as had William Grimley who was suffering from a broken arm.
The navigator, Ronald Watson, who had also survived, later reported that he was lying near the wreckage with the badly injured rear gunner, Thomas Allaway “Probably if we had been found sooner, after the crash Tommy would be alive, but it was about two in the morning and we weren’t found until eleven. I managed to have a few words with him while we were lying together near the machine.”
Donald Coleman made a statement on his repatriation to England in 1944: - “I am very vague as to what happened, but I will give you all I know. After we were hit, we flew very low over the Zuider Zee, when we struck land, and finally crashed. When I regained consciousness P.O. Skrender was lying near me, apparently dead, and for the next two hours I could hear someone moaning which I think was Sgt. Allaway. Later when I was being taken to the ambulance, one of the German orderlies said “Your comrades are dead” so I take it he saw them in the wreckage.”
He is buried at Bergen General Cemetery Plot 1, Row B, Grave 17.