John Fraser Grant Jenkins

John Fraser Grant Jenkins was born around 1917 and grew up in Noctorum, Cheshire, the son of John and Patricia Mabel Jenkins. A scholar of exceptional ability, he read mathematics at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, graduating as a Wrangler — the distinction awarded to those placed in the first class of the Mathematical Tripos. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and by early 1942, still only twenty-four years old, held the rank of Wing Commander in command of No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron, flying Bristol Blenheim IVs on night intruder operations from RAF West Raynham in Norfolk. On 27 December 1941, Jenkins led his squadron in a low-level attack against the Luftwaffe aerodrome at Herdla, Norway, in support of the Combined Operations raid on Vaagso (Operation Archery), an action for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted on 20 January 1942. On the night of 27 March 1942, flying Blenheim IV Z7276 on intruder duties over Soesterberg airfield in the Netherlands, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Utrecht; his two crew members, Flying Officer H. P. Brancker and Flight Sergeant C. H. Gray, were also killed. Jenkins is buried at Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Netherlands, in Plot 13, Row 2, Grave 22.