It's unclear at this stage, whether Sir John Curtiss served with 59 Squadron during WW2 as well as during the Berlin Airlift. In his memoires, F/L E. Allen notes that in Sept. 1943, a second tour crew came in and their navigator, one S/L John Curtiss became captain, this having been the first time that a nav became a pilot that he recalls. He goes on to note that Curtiss went on to become 59 Sqn C/O and had been reposted by June of 1944 and replaced by W/C Gilchrist. Unfortunately the dates don't match up as it appears that Gilchrist was the W/C replaced in June 1944. It's most likely that he served with 59 Squadron during the Airlift and perhaps up until the Squadron was disbanded in 1950.

Taking part in the Berlin Airlift - John Curtiss went on to become President of the British Berlin Airlift Assoc. Curtiss was the veteran of 263 trips. At the height of the operation, a plane was landing at RAF Gatow every 90 secs. He returned to Gatow for the 60th Anniversary celebrations in May 2009 (left - seen in this picture with Sir Glen Torpy - right).

John Curtiss went on to serve as Air Marshal and was Air-Officer Commanding No.18 Group RAF and Air Advisor to Commander-in-Chief Fleet during the Falklands conflict. He also served as a Military attache to Washington during the early 1970's.