John Douglas Garnett
Douglas Garnett was born in Sheffield in 1918. His father was John Ashley Garnett, an insurance agent who was born in Sheffield on 10 April 1894, the only son of John Fawcett Garnett, a school teacher, and his wife Bertha Ashley who married on 29 January 1893 at St Mary, Barton Upon Humber, Lincolnshire. Douglas's mother was May Egginton who was born on 3 June 1896 at New Invention, Staffordshire, the fifth of eleven children of William Egginton, a gas stoker, and his wife Phoebe Hicks who had married on 3 October 1888 at Wednesfield, Staffordshire.
Douglas was still living at home with his parents at 29 Herries Drive, Longley when the National Register was compiled on 29 September 1939. He worked for the Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative as a motor driver and confectionary salesman. Having joined the RAF in late 1939, Douglas married Dorothy Mary Slater the following Spring. Dorothy was the daughter of Walter Slater, a farmer and haulage contractor, and his wife Mary Louisa Williams who married on 24 April 1907 at St. Andrew, Sharrow. By 1911 Walter and Mary had come to live in Totley, initially at Moss Cottage, Lane Head but later at Bank View Farm. Mary Slater died there in 1920 and after his marriage Douglas went to live with Dorothy and her widowed father. A daughter Christine was born in late 1940.
John Douglas Garnett with his parents
In October 1945, having survived the war, Douglas was attached as a pilot to 1336 Transport Conversion Unit flying Dakota troop/freight carriers flying from RAF Welford, near Newbury, Berkshire. On Sunday 28 October 1945, John was one of four airmen - three pilots and a wireless-operator - on a night training flight. The aircraft attempted an emergency landing at Welford, after suffering an engine failure, but struck trees and crashed. It then caught fire. John and his three colleagues perished. The aircraft, Dakota FZ686, had been attached to the RAF since February 1944 and had served with 233 Squadron at RAF Blakehill Farm, participating in the D-Day and Arnhem operations, plus ferrying supplies and bringing home wounded soldiers.
Warrant Officer (Pilot) John Douglas Garnett, 655509, R.A.F. (V.R.) is buried at Abbey Lane Cemetery and is commemorated on Totley War Memorial and on a memorial inside Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield. A second daughter Susan was born shortly after his death.
We would like to thank Paul Allonby, military historian, for his research into Douglas's R.A.F. career. If anyone has any additional information, Paul would love to hear from you.
November 2021