The story of Captain Kinnery, S.A.A.F.
Abstract
Captain John Frederick “Jack” Kinnery (1918–1944), born in London and raised in Johannesburg, trained as a surveyor before enlisting in the South African Air Force in 1940. Rising through the ranks from air gunner to pilot, he served in North Africa with No.15 Squadron, enduring malaria before returning to flying duties. Promoted to temporary captain in 1943, he was seconded to the RAF, completing night fighter training and joining No.29 Squadron in late 1944. On 2 December 1944, while piloting a Mosquito Mk XIII on an intruder mission over the Netherlands, his aircraft crashed into the IJsselmeer, leaving his navigator, F/O John Derek Morgan, missing without a grave. Kinnery was later confirmed killed in action and now rests at Oostergaarde Cemetery, Harderwijk.
Honoured with multiple campaign medals, his memory endures through annual remembrance ceremonies at Harderwijk, organized since 2017 and now led by the foundation We Will Remember. These commemorations, attended by international representatives, students, and veterans, affirm the enduring duty to remember the sacrifices of Allied airmen. Captain Kinnery’s story embodies courage, service, and the collective commitment to keep alive the names of those who gave their lives for freedom.
THE STORY OF CAPTAIN KINNERY, S.A.A.F.
Ruud Slangen
A South African lies buried at the Oostergaarde Cemetery in Harderwijk, the Netherlands. Captain John (Jack) Kinnery was born in Charring Cross, London, on the Tuesday 30th July 1918. He was the son of John and of Doris Kinnery, nee Spencer of Orange Grove, Johannesburg, South-Africa. He was Church of England for religion. Jack attended Johannesburg Technical School where he trained to be a surveyor. He later worked for West Rand Consolidated Mines. Kinnery was a member of the Wit Rifles and the Rand Light Infantry Reserve regiments before he enlisted with the SAAF.
He joined in July 1940, training initially as an Air Gunner as a Sergeant on Monday 29th July 1940 and passed on Thursday 15th February 1941. He re-mustered two days later as a pupil pilot on the 17th February Attending No.100 Air School at RAF Bulawayo in Rhodesia. By August 1941 he had 100 hrs on a Tiger Moth and Airspeed Oxford’s and received his Flying Badge. In September he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. Kinnery served in No.15 Squadron S.A.A.F. in North Africa in an endemic malaria’s area. He was very badly bitten by mosquitos has he had no net to protect himself. After returning in 1942 he had a severe case of malaria and was send home for 21 days. After this he was declared fit for flying duties.
After being promoted to Temp Captain in April 1943 he was seconded to the RAF and was posted to No. 54 Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.) in Winfield, Berwickshire where he had night fighter training in Bristol Blenheim’s. During November 1944 he was transferred to No.29 Squadron just one month before he got killed.
On the night of Friday 1st December 1944 Bomber Command operated a total of 127 Minor Operations: 71 aircraft assigned to attack Karlsruhe, 24 aircraft on Radio Counter Measures, 22 on Patrol, 6 aircraft to Hallendorf and four aircraft to attack Duisburg. There were no recorded losses by Bomber Command from the night’s operations.
Fighter Command reported that three aircraft became non effect on the day of Saturday 2nd December including Captain Kinnery was the pilot of Mosquito Mk. XIII serial MM519 from No.29 Squadron No.11 Group – No.147 Wing (Air Defence of Great Britain) briefed on an Intruder sortie, taking off from RAF Station Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. His navigator was F/O John Derek Morgan. The aircraft was reported missing having crashed into the southern part of the IJsselmeer. MM519 was the 68th aircraft from the Squadron to become non effective and struck of charge.
The Department of Defence of the Union of South Africa reported Kinnery MIA on Thursday 11th January 1945 and notified his mother, a widow by that time. On Monday 22nd October he was officially reported KIA. P/O John Morgan was reported Missing in Action, has no known grave and is remembered on Panel 208 on the Runnymede Memorial Surrey. He was 21 years old.
Captain John Frederick Kinnery was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, The Africa Star, The War Medal 1939-1945, the Africa Service Medal, and the North Africa 1942-1943 clasp.
He rests in Plot 1. Grave 47. Harderwijk Cemetery, The Netherlands.
Since 2017 a Remembrance Ceremony is held on Oostergaarde Cemetery. Here, 57 men were buried between 1941 and 1945. In 1946 12 men were exhumed and buried elsewhere, 11 Americans and one Norwegian.
It all started with 7 veterans, a piper, trumpeter and some interested people. In 2021 a foundation was established, ‘We will remember’. It has as purpose to maintain the memory of allied airmen in the broadest sense of the word. The foundation endeavours to accomplish this objective by organizing commemorations and education, taking care of publications and maintaining the network, on national and international terrain. The foundation took over the Remembrance Ceremony.
This year, the commemoration was held for the ninth time and has become a well-attended event. Interest had already been generated by the presence of a representative from the South African Embassy. This year, for the first time, it was attended by the Ambassador himself, Mr. Vusi Madonsela, who laid a wreath.
Representatives from the British and Norwegian embassies, the Mayor of Harderwijk Mr. Joon, students of the Landstede School, Sea Scouts of the Tjerk Hiddes Group placed flowers and wreaths and held two-minutes silence. All participating the commemoration that ended with a fly-by of two small aeroplanes.
It was clear to all that as long as the names of these brave men were mentioned, they would never be forgotten.
We who have received the privilege to see spring aware
And the privilege to love and be loved
May we never forget our moral duty
To remember those who have not.
Ruud Slangen
Chairman Stichting We will remember
www.stichtingwewillremember.nl
