Died
24 June 1944
Sources
North Western Evening Mail
Place
Themes
Mr & Mrs Waite
Killed by a V1 Flying Bomb 24 June 1944
It is unusual for couples to be buried together under Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial stones. This is the only one in Barrow Cemetery.
His wife Joan Mary age 18 was killed at the same time by enemy action, and rests with him. Loved and remembered always.
Where is the grave?
In the lowest part of the Cemetery. From Devonshire Road, take the first left and follow it to the lowest path. Turn right at the path after the second ‘roundabout’. It is about half-way up, on the left hand side, but some way from the path.
Leading Aircraftman John Waite & Joan Waite had been married for a week when he was called back to his base less than three weeks after D-Day. V1 flying bombs had started landing in London on 13th June 1944, and the Waites were killed by one that landed in Westminster on Saturday 24th June.
On Tuesday 27th June, this made the front page in the North Western Evening Mail, alongside news of the fall of Cherbourg:
North Western Evening Mail, Tuesday 27th June 1944BARROW MAN AND BRIDE KILLED BY FLYING-BOMB
Recalled to his base in the South of England whilst honeymooning in Barrow, a 23 years old member of the RAF and his 19 years old bride, are both reported killed by enemy action.
There deaths are believed to have been caused by a flying bomb.
This is the tragic news received by Mrs. Timmington, of 41 Anchor-road, of her son, L.A.C. John Frederick Waite and his bride, formerly Miss Joan Harris, of Littlehampton, Sussex.
‘The news was a terrible blow,’ Mrs. Timmington told an “Evening Mail” reporter, ‘they only married a week last Saturday.’
‘John was on 14 days leave, but was recalled, and with Joan’s home being in Sussex she travelled south with him. They had not completed their journey, when they were killed.
‘We were informed only of John’s death at first, but after we had given the police a description of Joan we were informed yesterday that she was also amongst the victims.’
‘They were so happy when they left us and it is hard to realise they have both been killed.’
L.A.C. Waite was in the Merchant Navy before joining the R.A.F. in 1941, leaving the offices of Messrs. Vickers-Armstrong to join the Monarch of Bermuda as a bell-boy at the age of 15 years.
When his ship was sunk in 1941 he was unable to get another one immediately and applied for transfer to the R.A.F. He has since been serving with an air-sea rescue squadron.
