198's Website Editor, John, was born and educated in Farnham. Surrey, (England) and probably holds the distinction of being one of the very last persons to ever see 198 Squadron's Hawker Typhoons in flight. The son of a Royal Engineer, and Nephew of a 198 Squadron RAF pilot, John lost several close relatives during World War 2 and subsequently is more than aware of the effects war can have on family life and loved ones.
Leaving school at the age of fifteen his first intention was to take up a career as an animator with one of the large film studios in the USA but being unsuccessful opted for telecommunications instead. Besides this website John has also been involved with several others, one being the sound and photographic archive of a long demolished 1930's art-deco cinema and another three that deal with World War 2 themes - one of which is the loss of a particular RAF bomber on a clandestine flight during 1944, and fate of its crew.
If John has any regrets about this website it's that it didn't arrive some twenty five years earlier as he feels that so much about 198 has been lost since then in the way of former personnel memories that many of the questions raised about the Squadron these days can no longer be answered first hand. He also holds the view that some of the information currently, and previousely, published in books and official documentation about 198 is misleading and incorrect in light of the personal recollections and memories of surviving personnel, and the entries they made in their flying log books at the time.
Mindful of the day when this "Association of 198 Squadron RAF Pilots and Ground Crews" website will no longer be viable, or available, John has already made future plans for an interactive DVD of it, along with an archive of unpublished material, to be donated to the Imperial War Museum in London, UK, as a permanent record of the Squadron's existence.
When not engaged in the running of this website, or promoting 198 Squadron RAF through some other means, his main outside interests revolve around supporting the work of several animal welfare and rescue charities and the writing of historical interest items for a local newspaper column.
John and his wife, plus their three dogs, currently live in the South of England.
Association of 198 Squadron RAF Pilots & Ground Crews
Website Editor,
John
THE ASSOCIATION OF
198 SQUADRON RAF PILOTS & GROUND CREWS
