John Wilfred's Story.
Pilot Officer John Wilfred Naden was killed when his Vickers Wellington Mk II Z8591 crashed in the Netherlands on 26th July 1942. He was thirty years old.
John, known to his family as Jack, was born in Roselands, Hurdsfield, near Macclesfield, on 20th May 1912, the younger son of Jonas Henry Naden (1872 - 1947) and Eliza nee Hilder (1880 - 1947 ). He was baptised on 23rd June at Sunderland Street Methodist Church. John had an elder brother Arthur Henry (1910–1983) and a younger sister Hilda (1916–1991). His father ran a gentlemen's outfitters. By June 1921, the family home was at 7 Cottage Lane, Macclesfield. In September 1939, their address was 93, Byrons Lane, Macclesfield. John, then 27, was living at home and working as an insurance agent for the Prudential Assurance Company. He was not married.
John was educated at the Mill Street and Central Schools, and he studied at the Macclesfield Technical College. He served his Articles with Messrs John Clayton Ltd, Builders and Contractors, Sunderland Street, Macclesfield. At one point, in 1937, he was a member of a motorcycle club with the motto "Nil Desperandum".
Joining the R.A.F. as a volunteer on 30th June 1940, he rose to the rank of Sergeant-Observer, in which capacity he made many operational flights. He then received his commission as Pilot Officer. He was attached to Bomber Command and took part in raids over enemy country.
On an operation to Duisburg, Germany, which took off at 00.14 hrs from RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, there was a crew of five, including John as Observer. The plane, a Wellington, Z8591, was badly damaged by flak. It lost control over the Dutch coastline on the Ijsselmeer and crashed. The rest of the crew bailed out, but were taken as prisoners of war. These are the four crew members who survived the crash:
Pilot:32121 Wing Commander Richard C. (Dick) Collard DSO DFC - POW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 568.(OC 12 Squadron).
Bomb Aimer:1172570 Sgt J C Sedgley - POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 25079.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1316017 Sgt G P Pepper - POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 25048.
Air Gunner: 81419 Flt Lt N Thom - POW Stalag XXI-B - Schubin & Stalag Luft 3 - Sagan & Belaria. PoW Number 390 He broke his ankle during parachute landing.
John died on Sunday, 26th July 1942. He was 30 years years old. He is buried at Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Utrecht, Netherlands.
The local newspaper printed an obituary.
Macclesfield Times, Thursday, 30 July 1942
John is remembered on the War Memorial in Macclesfield.
Information compiled by Shena Lewington (October 2026)
John, known to his family as Jack, was born in Roselands, Hurdsfield, near Macclesfield, on 20th May 1912, the younger son of Jonas Henry Naden (1872 - 1947) and Eliza nee Hilder (1880 - 1947 ). He was baptised on 23rd June at Sunderland Street Methodist Church. John had an elder brother Arthur Henry (1910–1983) and a younger sister Hilda (1916–1991). His father ran a gentlemen's outfitters. By June 1921, the family home was at 7 Cottage Lane, Macclesfield. In September 1939, their address was 93, Byrons Lane, Macclesfield. John, then 27, was living at home and working as an insurance agent for the Prudential Assurance Company. He was not married.
John was educated at the Mill Street and Central Schools, and he studied at the Macclesfield Technical College. He served his Articles with Messrs John Clayton Ltd, Builders and Contractors, Sunderland Street, Macclesfield. At one point, in 1937, he was a member of a motorcycle club with the motto "Nil Desperandum".
Joining the R.A.F. as a volunteer on 30th June 1940, he rose to the rank of Sergeant-Observer, in which capacity he made many operational flights. He then received his commission as Pilot Officer. He was attached to Bomber Command and took part in raids over enemy country.
On an operation to Duisburg, Germany, which took off at 00.14 hrs from RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, there was a crew of five, including John as Observer. The plane, a Wellington, Z8591, was badly damaged by flak. It lost control over the Dutch coastline on the Ijsselmeer and crashed. The rest of the crew bailed out, but were taken as prisoners of war. These are the four crew members who survived the crash:
Pilot:32121 Wing Commander Richard C. (Dick) Collard DSO DFC - POW Stalag Luft 3 Zagan & Belaria. PoW Number 568.(OC 12 Squadron).
Bomb Aimer:1172570 Sgt J C Sedgley - POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 25079.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1316017 Sgt G P Pepper - POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. PoW Number 25048.
Air Gunner: 81419 Flt Lt N Thom - POW Stalag XXI-B - Schubin & Stalag Luft 3 - Sagan & Belaria. PoW Number 390 He broke his ankle during parachute landing.
John died on Sunday, 26th July 1942. He was 30 years years old. He is buried at Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Utrecht, Netherlands.
The local newspaper printed an obituary.
Macclesfield Times, Thursday, 30 July 1942
John is remembered on the War Memorial in Macclesfield.
Information compiled by Shena Lewington (October 2026)