John Shepherd (RAF officer)

John Shepherd, DFC & Two Bars (20 July 1919 – 22 January 1946) was a British flying ace who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

From Edinburgh, Shepherd was served as ground crew in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force before training as a pilot in April 1939.

118 Squadron, serving with this unit for nearly two years before being rested, having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice during this time.

He joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in a ground crew role and served with No.

[1][2] In late August 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Shepherd was called up for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and commenced further training.

Shortly after Shepherd's arrival, the squadron moved to St Eval for a period of duty at a lowered operational tempo, with fewer sorties.

[4] On 23 March he and two other pilots shared in damaging a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber over the Isle of Wight.

[1] This was stationed at Predannack and doing convoy patrols and offensive sweeps to France with its Spitfire Mk VBs.

[6] On 19 August, during the Dieppe Raid, he shared in the destruction of a Dornier Do 17 medium bomber over the English Channel.

The citation for the DFC was published in The London Gazette and read: This officer has taken part in many sorties over enemy occupied territory and in several reconnaissance missions and attacks on shipping.

[1] At this time, the squadron, being equipped with the fastest Spitfire model, the Mk XIV, was involved in Operation Diver, the RAF's campaign against the German-launched V-1 flying bombs and Shepherd destroyed seven of these over the south of England during the course of the next several weeks.

Early in 1945, the squadron went to Warmwell for armament exercises and at this time, Shepherd was appointed its acting commander.

[3][11] Shepherd's new unit, equipped with Spitfire Mk XIVs, was stationed at Eindhoven from where it flew armed reconnaissances into Germany.

41 Squadron shifted to Denmark where it was based at Kastrup for two months before going to Lübeck in Germany, as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation.

[1] Holding the rank of squadron leader at the time of his death, Shepherd is buried in Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Germany.