Flight Sergeant Trout had 235 combat
hours with 431 Squadron from the 3rd of May 1944 to the
2nd of December 1944. He claimed one enemy fighter
destroyed on the night of June 12/13 during an operation to Arras.
His last operation was to Duisberg in Lancaster KB 803 SE-N
which was described by his Pilot, Reg Harrison:
"Take off was at 16.27 hours with a bright moon.
Primary 2007.2 hours, 17,000 feet, 078 degrees T,IAS 160 mph,
10/10ths cloud with tops 6/7,000 feet. T.I.’s red and red flares
with yellow stars identified the target. We bombed the centre of
the concentration of red flares. All that could be seen was a red
glow through the clouds. If markers were on, the effort should
have been good."
He was screened on December 3, 1944 and posted out of 431
Squadron on Januyary 16, 1945 after completing his tour. John
Trout married after the war in 1947 and died in Toronto in 1995.
