John Lambert Asprey, Son of John Lambert Asprey, and Maud Mary Asprey, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. John was served with the RAAF in WWII and lost his life whem his plane, Whitley Z6823 78 Squadron crashed at Veldriel (Gelderland), which is 6 kms south east of Zaltbommel, Netherlands. Two crew members lost their lives and the other three became Prisoners of War.

The crew members of Z6823 were:

Pilot Officer John Lambert Asprey (404226) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant J A Cant (44174) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant J Geary (759168) (RAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant W E Kerr (968327) (RAFVR) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Alan David Wills (1306085) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Contributor: Michel Beckers (47419676) •

Service No: 404226
Born: Brisbane QLD, 15 December 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1940
Unit: No. 78 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Middleton St George
Died: Air Operations: (No. 78 Squadron Whitley aircraft Z6823), Netherlands, 17 August 1941, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Locality Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Lambert Asprey, and Maud Mary Asprey, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 2256 hours on the night of 16 August 1941 Whitley Z6823 took off from Middleton St George detailed to bomb Cologne, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. At 0315 hours on 17 August 1941 Z6823 crashed at Veldriel (Gelderland), which is 6 kms south east of Zaltbommel, Netherlands. Two crew members lost their lives and the other three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of Z6823 were:
Pilot Officer John Lambert Asprey (404226) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant J A Cant (44174) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant J Geary (759168) (RAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant W E Kerr (968327) (RAFVR) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Alan David Wills (1306085) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kerr later reported "I know Asprey left the aircraft with his parachute on as I saw him disappear through the escape hatch. It is possible that his parachute was damaged during operations and rendered useless."
Flight Lieutenant Cant later reported "Asprey left the aircraft at about 12,000 feet with his parachute on but did not see him after he baled out."

John Lambert Asprey, Son of John Lambert Asprey, and Maud Mary Asprey, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. John was served with the RAAF in WWII and lost his life whem his plane, Whitley Z6823 78 Squadron crashed at Veldriel (Gelderland), which is 6 kms south east of Zaltbommel, Netherlands. Two crew members lost their lives and the other three became Prisoners of War.

The crew members of Z6823 were:

Pilot Officer John Lambert Asprey (404226) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant J A Cant (44174) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant J Geary (759168) (RAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant W E Kerr (968327) (RAFVR) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Alan David Wills (1306085) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Contributor: Michel Beckers (47419676) •

Service No: 404226
Born: Brisbane QLD, 15 December 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1940
Unit: No. 78 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Middleton St George
Died: Air Operations: (No. 78 Squadron Whitley aircraft Z6823), Netherlands, 17 August 1941, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Locality Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Lambert Asprey, and Maud Mary Asprey, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 2256 hours on the night of 16 August 1941 Whitley Z6823 took off from Middleton St George detailed to bomb Cologne, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. At 0315 hours on 17 August 1941 Z6823 crashed at Veldriel (Gelderland), which is 6 kms south east of Zaltbommel, Netherlands. Two crew members lost their lives and the other three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of Z6823 were:
Pilot Officer John Lambert Asprey (404226) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant J A Cant (44174) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant J Geary (759168) (RAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant W E Kerr (968327) (RAFVR) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Alan David Wills (1306085) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kerr later reported "I know Asprey left the aircraft with his parachute on as I saw him disappear through the escape hatch. It is possible that his parachute was damaged during operations and rendered useless."
Flight Lieutenant Cant later reported "Asprey left the aircraft at about 12,000 feet with his parachute on but did not see him after he baled out."