Flight Lieutenant John Alan Quinton, GC, DFC (2 February 1921 – 13 August 1951) was a British navigator and pilot who was posthumously awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

for an act of outstanding bravery where he unselfishly saved a young air cadet whilst losing his own life after the aircraft he was in was involved in a mid-air collision over

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. On 13 August 1951, Flight Lieutenant Quinton was a navigator with 228 Operational Conversion Unit,

RAF Leeming Royal Air Force Leeming or RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near Leeming, North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1940 and was jointly used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Between 1950 and 1991, it ...

, under instruction in a

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

aircraft which was involved in a mid-air collision. An

Air Training Corps The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British volunteer-military youth organisation. They are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force. The majority of staff are volunteers, and some are paid for full-time work – including C ...

cadet, 16-year-old Derek Coates, was with him in the rear compartment of the aircraft when the force of the impact caused the Wellington to break up and plunge to the ground out of control. Flight Lieutenant Quinton picked up the only parachute he could see, clipped it on to the cadet's harness, showed him how to pull the rip-cord and ordered him to jump. The cadet landed safely and was the only survivor of the disaster; all eight other occupants of the two aircraft perished. For his selfless action he was awarded the

(GC), the UK's highest award for bravery where the award of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

(VC) is not applicable, such as acts of gallantry by a civilian, or by a military person who is not in the presence of the enemy. The George Cross is equal in status to the Victoria Cross, but as the newer award, in order of wear, the George Cross is second to the Victoria Cross.

Citation

Date of Gazette: 23 October 1951

Life history

John Quinton was born in

Brockley Brockley is a district and an electoral ward of south London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham south-east of Charing Cross. History The name Brockley is derived from "Broca's woodland clearing", a wood where badgers are seen (' ...

, near Lewisham, south east London in 1921 and was educated at Christ's College, Finchley leaving in 1937 having passed the London General School Examination with Matriculation. He joined the Specialloids engineering company as an apprentice and could have remained there as an exempt employee through the war, but in 1941 he joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

as a navigator to more actively contribute to the war effort. Consistently rated exceptional, he flew in night fighters and was commissioned in January 1942. For his splendid work in this most dangerous and exacting branch of the service he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944 flying

Mosquitos Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...

with No. 604 Squadron. Promoted to

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

, he served in India and the Far East and, uniquely for a navigator, became a flight commander. In 1946 he left the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

and went back to his old job at Specialloids, and then moved to the car accessory company Brown Brothers where he remained until 1951. During this time he married and became a father to a son. In 1951 he re-joined the RAF at the 228 Operational Conversion Unit where he had to start again as a Flight Lieutenant as he was unable to return with his old rank of

. He was killed only two months later on the point of completing his refresher course. The George Cross was presented to his widow, Margaret Quinton, by HM The Queen at an investiture held on 27 February 1952, the first of her reign. His medals are currently on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

in London.

Scouting

John Quinton was a keen

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

and joined the 186 North London Scout Troop that met in the Church Hall of the Whetstone Congregational Church. He rapidly became a Patrol Leader and attended camps at

Gilwell Park Gilwell Park is a camp site and activity centre in East London located in the Sewardstonebury area of Waltham Abbey, within Epping Forest, near the border with Chingford. The site is owned by The Scout Association, is used by Scouting and Gu ...

, Essex, as well as the

World Scout Jamboree The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17. The first World Scout Jamboree was organized by Th ...

in the Netherlands in 1937. In 1938 he was chosen to lead the troop camp in

Kandersteg Kandersteg is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mounta ...

, Switzerland. He then moved up to become a

Rover Scout Rover Scouts, Rovers, Rover Scouting or Rovering is a program associated with some Scouting organizations for adult men and women. A group of Rovers is called a 'Rover Crew'. Rovers was originated by The Scout Association, The Boy Scouts Assoc ...

and was awarded the

King's Scout A King's Scout is a Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the Uni ...

badge. During the war his father, Charles, took on the Rover Scout leadership of the group and his mother, Kate, was also heavily involved with the families of the troop with one or more members on active service; his two brothers Ken and Mike were also members of the troop. After the end of the war John went back to

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

and the 186 Troop, ending up as their Group Scout Master. The story of his death was subsequently published in an article in the 1962 Scout Annual entitled "He Lived – and Died – by the Scout Law" which was written by Leslie Hunt who had served with him during the war.

Memorials

He is buried in the grounds of the church of St John the Baptist in Leeming. The Quinton Memorial Trophy is a commemorative Baton which all ATC members contributed to as a memorial to his bravery. This was originally awarded annually at RAF Halton to the highest achieving former ATC cadet in each graduating class of apprentices of No. 1 School of Technical Training. In 1993, No 1 SoTT moved to

RAF Cosford Royal Air Force Cosford or RAF Cosford (formerly DCAE Cosford) is a Royal Air Force station in Cosford, Shropshire, Cosford, Shropshire, just to the northwest of Wolverhampton and next to Albrighton, Bridgnorth, Albrighton. History Origins RA ...

and the trophy is now held at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...

and is awarded annually to the ATC SNCO who, on completion of the Senior NCO Staff Initial Course, attains the highest overall marks in all examinable subjects. A small replica of the baton was presented to Margaret Quinton and their son Roger on behalf of the

. There is a memorial in Whetstone United Reform (ex Congregational) Church referencing the Boy Scouts. The Coat-of-Arms was granted by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

with the assistance of

John Brooke-Little John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little (6 April 1927 – 13 February 2006) was an English writer on heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of He ...

CVO FSA Norroy and Ulster King of Arms. The design shows an eagle owl (symbolising the Night Fighters) clutching a twin-headed serpent (symbolising the two enemies Germany and Japan) above a background of night and day. The winged amulet symbolises a navigator and the

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

represent the

Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...

. The Motto – 'Animo et Fide' (Courage and Faith) – was chosen by his eldest grandson, Jason Quinton, as being appropriate for his grandfather.

had a special room constructed in his memory in the old control tower. Later this was demolished and a separate room was established in the main buildings. On the 60th anniversary of the accident, on 13 August 2011, a new accommodation block was named the Quinton Block in his memory. Also on the 60th anniversary a plaque was unveiled in

Hudswell, North Yorkshire Hudswell is a village and civil parish on the border of the Yorkshire Dales, in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The population at the ONS Census 2011 was 353. It lies approximately 2 miles west of Richmond, its nearest ...

near the actual crash site. The memorial commemorates the seven airman and one cadet who died in the crash as well as the story of the single cadet who survived. 1869 (Middlesbrough) Squadron ATC Headquarters building. An opening ceremony was performed on 15 September 2007 by Roger Quinton naming their new Headquarters 'The Quinton GC Building' in his Father's memory. National Memorial Arboretum 001

His name is included on the

Armed Forces Memorial The Armed Forces Memorial is a national memorial in the United Kingdom, dedicated to the 16,000 servicemen and women of the British Armed Forces killed on duty or through terrorist action since after the Second World War. It is within the Nationa ...

located at the

National Memorial Arboretum The National Memorial Arboretum is a British site of national remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire. Its objective is to honour the fallen, recognise service and sacrifice, and foster pride in the British Armed Forces and civilian ...

in Staffordshire which was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth on 12 October 2007. His details are included on the Rolls of Honour that are kept on public display in the Church of

St Clement Danes St Clement Danes is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. Although the first church on the site was reputedly founded in the 9th century by the Danes, the current ...

in London. His name is also inscribed on a plaque near the altar listing the names of RAF and RFC personnel awarded the George Cross.

References

External links