Tytherleigh, William John 'Johnny'

Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)

Date of birth:: November 8th, 1921 (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: May 17th, 1943 (Emmerich am Rhein, Germany)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Reichswald Forest
Plot: 5. Row: B. Grave: 16-18.
Service number:: 120851
Nationality:: British

Biography

William John Tytherleigh, known as “Johnny,” was born William George Lilley on 8 November 1921 in Cambridge. After his parents separated, his mother moved to London with Albert Tytherleigh, and the family later settled in Hove, Sussex. Johnny joined the RAF in 1940, qualifying as an observer/air gunner the following spring.

Posted to 50 Squadron, Tytherleigh completed a full tour in Hampdens between November 1941 and June 1942, earning a commission in April 1942. After a training stint, he rejoined 50 Squadron in autumn 1942, flying Lancasters as mid-upper turret gunner. On 2 February 1943, he flew with Henry Maudslay’s crew for the first time and completed eight more operations before transferring to 617 Squadron.

During the Dams Raid, Tytherleigh manned the front gun turret of AJ-Z, placing him close to the explosion when its Upkeep mine struck the Eder Dam parapet. The damaged aircraft was later downed by flak near Emmerich. Unable to identify individual remains, the Germans buried Tytherleigh, Michael Fuller, and Robert Urquhart together in a single grave. They were reinterred in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery after the war.

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Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Flying Officer
Unit:: No. 50 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: June 29th, 1945

Posthumously awarded. Tytherleigh had been recommended for a DFC at the time of his transfer but faced delays. His award was announced in June 1945, recognizing his 42 completed operations.