John Alexander Lamb was born in 1909, son of Phillip K. and Grace Lamb. He was married to Lorna Jean Lamb and lived in Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand. 

Not much is known about John. He joined the R.N.Z.A.F. at an unknown date and became a navigator, flying on Halifaxes with 76 Squadron.

On 20/21 December 1943, F/S Lamb and his crew, captained by F/S Charles Matthews participated in a raid to Frankfurt. It was to be his 9th operation.

F/S Lamb and his crew took off from their base at Holme-On-Spalding Moor at 16.39 in Halifax V LK926-C. They were one of 650 aircraft attacking the city and one of 44 to be lost this night.

They were last heard of at 21.53 when they were at position 5148N:0344E. They crashed in the North Sea.

76 Squadron
 

F/S Matthews body washed ashore on the Dutch coast and was originally interred at probably Den Helder. After the war he was reburied at Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery.

F/S Lamb's body washed ashore near Castricum aan Zee on 6 January 1944 and was buried in Castricum the next day.

F/S John Lamb rests at Castricum Protestant Cemetery, Plot J. grave 3.

Castricum, The Netherlands

See Also:
F/S Charles Matthews

Other casualties of 76 Squadron buried in The Netherlands

Sources and Acknowledgements:
Errol W. Martyn, For Your Tomorrow, Vol.2, Christchurch 1999
Picture courtesy of Auckland Museum War Memorial

RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Directions to Castricum Protestant Cemetery

Posted 29 May 2006
Updated 26 January 2009

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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