Pilot Officer John Peile Tolson (67640) served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during World War Two. He served with Royal Air Force 108 Squadron. Tolson was the son of Son of Squadron Leader Wilfred George Tolson MC and Marjorie Seymour Tolson from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK. Wilfred George Tolson (75658) was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force. He also died after a short illness while on active service aged 57 years old.
John Peile Tolson came from strong military stock. His grandparents were Colonel Wilfred Tolson of the Royal Sussex Regiment and Maud Carrington Tolson. The London Gazette announced John’s promotion to Pilot Officer on 27th June 1941.
Pilot Officer Tolson died on 16th March 1942 aged 21 years old. He was the co-pilot on board the ill-fated Consolidated Liberator AL577 that came down at Jenkinstown, Co. Louth, Ireland.
In 2002, his brother and other family members visited the Co. Louth crash site. Former members of the Irish Army who attended the incident and other locals who remembered the crash were also present. His nephew created a short documentary telling the story of Liberator AL577 and in particular of John Tolson and Paul Morey.
John Peile Tolson’s grave is in Section 1, Grave L-37 of Westfield Cemetery, Harpenden, England. He lies next to his father Wilfred George Tolson who died on 12th April 1943.