John Campbell Willson was born on January 3, 1924, in Edmonton, Canada. He was the son of Charles Alwyn Willson and Euphemia Lily Willson, of Encinitas, California, U.S.A. He was raised in Melrose Park, Illinois, and graduated from Proviso Township High School in Maywood, Illinois, in 1941.

John joined the RCAF in 1942 and was serving in the 44 (R.A.F.) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Flight Sergeant at the time of his death. He lost his life when his plane, Lancaster LM434, crashed at a coal mine site near Lanklaar Limburg, Belgium.

Lancaster LM434 left on June 21, 1944, at 22:55 from Dunholme Lodge Air Base in England. The aircraft was shot down by the German night fighter Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer. Two of the crew members were killed in the crash.

Crew: Pilot P/O Neville John Wingrove Scholtz RAFVR KIA
F/E Sgt Wilfred T Wainwright POW
Nav WO2 Leo P Tobin RCAF EVD
B/A F/S John Campbell Willson RCAF KIA
W/Op Sgt Francis Preston POW
M/U WO1 Richard Schott RCAF POW
R/G Sgt William D Barnett POW

Source of information: www.findagrave.com