Sergeant JOHN ARCHIBALD BECKETT

The following details are given in the London Gazette of 12th December, 1947. On the night of 28th March, 1947, during re-fuelling operations on a Lancaster aircraft, a violent fire broke out suddenly in the pumping compartment of the refuelling vehicle of which Sgt. Beckett was the driver. There was grave danger that the main tank of this vehicle containing over two thousand gallons of fuel, would explode. This would almost certainly have resulted in the destruction of more than twenty aircraft in the park. Despite serious burns on the hands and face, Sgt. Beckett drove the blazing vehicle about 400 yards to a point outside the aircraft park where it could cause no further damage. He then collapsed, and on 12th April he died. There is no doubt that his prompt and gallant action saved a number of valuable aircraft from destruction and his comrades working in the vicinity from serious injury.