Although the surnames and initials are the same between the two J. Douglas’ this is where the similarities in their wartime experiences end. 

John was a Pilot belonging to 1435 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who, at the time of his death were flying Supermarine Spitfire Mk XI’s.  The Squadron had been formed in 1942 from Flight 1435, who at the time were acting in a fighter/bomber capacity based in Africa; they were (and are still) the only RAF Squadron to ever possess a four digit number in their title. 

          1435 Squadron carried out many sorties over Sicily and Italy before eventually moving to perform night fighting missions over Yugoslavia and Albania, and it was on one such occasion that John met his death.  It is unclear as to the exact location where John perished, as his remains were re-interred to the city of Tirana, Albania in 1994; all forty five sets of remains of Allied armed forces personnel who perished across the entire country were moved there at the same time.  It is clear however that he was the only night fighter pilot to crash on active service in Albania, as there are no other members of 1435 Squadron, and the only other air crew buried there are bomber crew members.

          He was the son of John and Mary Ann Douglas, of Filey and the husband of Winifred – the couple had recently moved to Bridlington after their marriage.