John Etherington was born in 1922 and was from New Jersey. He served on the B-24 “Battlin Baby” (42-94989) as the Ball Turret Gunner.
On July 13 1944, B-24 “Battlin Baby” (42-94989) assigned to the 713th Bomber Squadron, 448th Bomber Group, 8th Air force took off from Seething (Station 146) for a bombing mission of the railway yards in Saarbrucken, Germany. During the mission, “Battlin Baby” was hit and lost # 3 and #4 engines. The Pilot headed to Switzerland and over Switzerland in a perilous situation, the crew bailed out and the plane exploded over the town of Bätterkinden, Switzerland. The crew survived and were interned initially in the Adelboden Internment (Camp Moloney) Camp. Officers were later transferred to the Davos Internment Camp. Several of the crew escaped the internment camps and were returned to duty. Reference: Missing Aircraft Report {MACR} 7561.

FROM FIND A GRAVEJohn Rodney Etherington On March 9 2005 age 82 of Manassas VA formerly of Gloucester City and Elmer NJ and Lake Wales FL. John was predeceased by his beloved wife Evelyn L. (nee Curtin). He is survived by his loving children Lois E. Pratt of Sittingbourne England John R. Etherington Jr. of Manassas VA and his sister Eileen Ames of Mystic CT. His dear grandchildren Laurie Etherington Jennifer Etherington Kristen (Pratt) Gable Charis (Pratt) Natal Christopher Pratt and six great grandchildren also survive him. John was a 1939 graduate of Gloucester City High School and 1947 graduate of Temple University. He served in the Army Air Force during WWII as a tail-gunner on a B-24 Bomber. His plane was shot down on July 13 1944 and he was held as a Prisoner of War in Switzerland until February of 1945. John worked as a Master Broadcast Control Engineer for 40 yrs. at television stations WRCV (NBC) KYW (Westinghouse) and WHYY (PPS) in Philadlephia. He was also a life time member of the American Legion and a member of the Swiss Internees Association.