Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- John Goldney -

In December last Mr. and Mrs. J. Goldney, of Sabathu, Marlborough Road, Ventnor, received official notification that their eldest son, Sergt.-Pilot John Goldney, R.A.F., stationed in India, had been posted as missing. Yesterday (Thursday) they received a letter from their son's Squadron-Leader which indicated that it must now be considered that he has lost his life. It seems that Sergt.-Piot Goldney crashed in a dog-fight soon after taking off and his plane was seen to fall into the sea. "It was a sad blow to us all in the Squadron," the writer says, "as John was one of our best liked and most popular pilots. As a Commanding Officer I valued John's qualities very highly and his loss is a very real one to the Squadron. It will, doubtless, be of great help to you to know that John died fighting actively, and it was certainly a great consolation to us to know that we avenged John four times on this day."
Sergt.-Pilot Goldney, who was in his 23rd year, joined the R.A.F. as a Cadet before the war.
He was a student at Sandown Secondary School and was recommended for his training by the headmaster. He was always keen on flying.
We are sure Mr. and Mrs. Goldney will have the deep sympathy of all in their irreparable loss.

Mr. Gerald W. Goldney, formerly a member of the staff of the Midland Bank at Ventnor, is a supply assistant serving on H.M.S. Pheasant. In a series of letters to his parents he very ably describes his ship's entry into Tokyo Bay after the collapse of the Japs, and we wish we had space to quote freely from the story. The first "he noticed was the line of white flags, spaced at about fifty yards intervals along the cliffs. It was quite amusing to see them fluttering in the breeze," he writes. "Just like the Japs, always plenty of white flags."
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Describing the entry of his ship into the Outer Bay, Mr. Goldney writes: - "Slowly we steamed into this magnificent bay, with its cliffs on either side, sweeping away in gigantic curves, which disappeared into the morning mist, a mist which hung like a phantom over the entire area. On our port beam was Yukasuki Base. I could pick out some Jap destroyers, ling at anchor there. I looked for signs of life on board, but there was none. They were like ships of a phantom fleet riding at anchor in the mist-covered sea.
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"On the land not a sign of life, not even a plume of smoke from a chimney stack - and there were hundreds of these. What had happened to all the people? We expected to see a little activity. Instead it seemed as though the earth had swallowed up the inhabitants who had once swarmed in their thousands over this area, leaving only the shell, the stones and bricks, as an indication of what was once a prosperous city."
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We have greatly enjoyed reading the writer's vivid descriptions, and thank Mr. Goldney, sen., for giving us the privilege.

The funeral took place on Thursday of Mrs. Dorothy Goldney (66), of Ilminster, St. Lawrence. The Rev. R.F. Collings officiated. Mrs. Goldney was a native of Whitwell, and had spent some years as a children's nurse in India, where she married. Mr. and Mrs. Goldney, who returned to the Island over 30 years ago, had planned to take up residence in a new bungalow near their married son at Pangbourne, Berkshire. Mrs. Goldney had recently fallen and broken her hip. She was a member of St. Lawrence Women's Institute.
The mourners were Mr. J. Goldney; Mr. and Mrs. G. Goldney (son and daughter-in-law); Messrs. Ron. and Reg. Coleman (brothers); Mr. G. Coleman (nephew); Mrs. E. Linington (niece); Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Whatson and Miss Taylor.