This post is one in a series of posts on the crash of an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362, which crashed into the sea 2-miles from Saltcoats Harbour on the 2nd of May, 1943.
Flying Officer John Clifford North-Lewis (Service Number 109536, Pilot, aged 29)
Flying Officer North-Lewis was the pilot of Whitley Z9362. He was educated at Harrow School and Worcester College, Oxford University. On graduating, he became a solicitor, then in 1941 he was commissioned in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
He was married to Margaret Taylor in 1942. Tragically his only child, a son, was born after his death.
He is buried in Brampton (St Martin) Old Churchyard in Cumbria.
Eleven days after the Saltcoats crash, his twin brother Sergeant William Esmond North-Lewis was on board a Halifax II aircraft of 51 Squadron on an operation to Duisburg when it was shot down and crashed in Belgium. He became a Prisoner of War.
These posts were researched and kindly contributed by John & Ian McCallum and Sandra Colley, with support from Flying Officer David McKay of 1138 (Ardrossan) Squadron Air Training Corps and Paul Coffey, President of the Royal British Legion Scotland Saltcoats, Ardrossan and Stevenston Branch.