John Quinton

Who was John Quinton?

Flight Lieutenant John Alan Quinton, GC, DFC was posthumously awarded the George Cross for an act of outstanding bravery where he unselfishly saved a young air cadet whilst losing his own life after the aircraft he was in was involved in a mid-air collision over Yorkshire.

On 13 August 1951, Flight Lieutenant Quinton was a navigator with 228 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF Leeming, under instruction in a Wellington aircraft which was involved in a mid-air collision. An Air Training Corps cadet, 16-year old Derek Coates, was with him in the rear compartment of the aircraft when the force of the impact caused the Wellington to break up and plunge to the ground out of control.

Flight Lieutenant Quinton picked up the only parachute he could see, clipped it on to the cadet’s harness, showed him how to pull the rip-cord and ordered him to jump. The cadet landed safely and was the only survivor of the disaster, all eight other occupants of the two planes perished.

For his selfless action he was awarded the George Cross, the UK's highest award for bravery by a civilian or a military person where the award of the Victoria Cross is not applicable. In order of precedence, the George Cross is second only to the Victoria Cross.