John O'Donnell was born in 1923 in West Salford, Lancashire. He was the Son of John and Margaret Annie O'Donnell. He was an navigator on a Mitchell bomber with 226 squadron.

At the beginning of the war 226 Sqn was a Coastal Command Squadron, transferring to Bomber Command late May 1941, flying Blenheim, later Boston bombers. On 1 June 1943 it transferred to the 2nd Tactical Air Force and started flying the Mitchell bomber, flying out of Swanton Morley in Norfolk. After the invasion it was stationed on the continent. In November 1944, 137 Wing, of which 226 Sqn was part together with 88 and 107 and 342 (French) squadrons, was stationed at Vitry-en-Artois, airfield in France.

In the afternoon of 26 November 1944, Mitchells of 137 wing and 139 Wing attacked the railroad bridges at Deventer and Zwolle. In the morning they had made an attack on the German town of Rheydt.

  226 Sqn RAF

Sgt. O'Donnell's Mitchell was going to Deventer. The Allied planes received heavy and accurate anti aircraft fire form the German defenses near the bridge. Sgt. O'Donnell's Mitchell received a hit and broke in two. The plane crashed, killing all four of the crew.

Sgt. O'Donnell and his crew are buried in Deventer General Cemetery at the Raalterweg. He is buried in grave no. 3197.

Deventer, The Netherlands

See also:
P/O Stanley Twining
Sgt Thomas Utterson
Sgt James Reid

Sources:
Gerrit Zwanemburg, En Toen Was Het Stil,  Royal Dutch Air Force, ny
 

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

Directions to Deventer General Cemetery

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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