John (Hyman Jacob) was born on 7 September 1917 in Montreal, Canada to Polish born parents Benjamin and Leah (Lottie) nee Schneider and he had an older sister Anna. He enlisted in 1940.

John married Ivy née Gaskell/Dingsdale, who was a widow, and the manager of the White Horse Hotel in York. They married 17 September 1941 and it appears that John lied about his age as he was twenty four and not twenty seven as he stated.

John was a wireless operator/air gunner on Halifax W1274 which departed from RAF Topcliffe at 00.19 on an operation to Flensburg. On its way to the target the aircraft was hit by flak and crashed in Elsø Moor west of the Kelstrup plantation killing all on board.

The crew were:
Pilot, P/O William M. Webb
F/E, Sgt John M. Rankin
Nav, Edward E. Gervais
W/Op A/G, Sgt John H. Kaufman
A/G, F/Sgt William Sheldon
F/Sgt Mervyn K. Burke RAAF
A/G, F/Sgt John Ott