Jack was born in 1920 in Holborn, London to Russian born parents Israel and Rose née Nemliek and was registered with the first name of Angel. He had two younger sisters Anita and Renee and the family surname was originally Walkovitch. Their father Israel, adopted his second name as their surname after he served in the 8th Battalion Labour Corps in WW1. In 1939, the family were living in Leyton where Israel worked as a hairdresser.

Jack was an air gunner on Halifax HR738 which departed from RAF Lissett on a night operation to Berlin. The aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Dumberg, near Paderborn, Germany killing five of the crew and two becoming prisoners of war.

A/G, Brian Arthur Kelly, RAAF 425314.
Pilot, William Kidd, 1096827.
A/B, Cecil Hill Macauley, 656568.
Nav, James Francis Maxwell, 1432779.

W/Op, Ronald Aubry Lloyd, 1386538 POW Stalag Luft L3.
F/E, Sgt R J H Prince, POW. He was found badly injured forty eight hours after the crash.