Reading Out Loud
Focused Elements:
You can have these explanations read out loud by clicking on 'Speak Explanation' (access key 'a')
These controls are to provide alternative means of accessing the information on this page. Two main facilities are provided: adjusting the text size and listening to the text on the page.
1) Adjusting Text Size:
You can increase the text size by clicking on 'Larger' (access key '+'), and reduce it by clicking on 'Smaller' (access key '-'). You can reset the size back to its original value by clicking on 'Reset' (access key 'j')
2) Listening to the Text
You can adjust the pitch of the spoken word, the rate or speed of delivery and the volume. You can also choose the voice to use by clicking on the drop-down list. The default voice is whatever is the standard for the computer and browser you are using.
To set your default, please refer to the description in the Accessibility Statement.
There are normally three sections of text on the page that you can listen to: the headings, the main text and a selection. Click on 'Speak Headings to speak the page headings (access key 'l'). Click on 'Speak Main Text' (access key 'q') to listen to the main text.
You can also select an area of text in the page using standard select methods and click on 'Speak Selection' (access key 'w') to read the selection aloud.
You can enable the reading out loud of the element that currently has focus by clicking on 'Start Focus Speaking' (access key 'f') and you can stop this by clicking on 'Stop Focus Speaking' (access key 'd').
You can pause the audio by clicking on 'Pause' (access key 'r') and resume by clicking on 'Resume' (access key 't').
To cancel or stop the audio click on 'Cancel' (access key 'y'). To restart the current audio from the beginning, click on 'Restart' (access key 'k').
To hide the accessibility controls click on 'Hide Panel' (access key 'h')
To hide this explanation click on 'Hide Explanation' (access key 'x')
Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Those who served in the Royal Air Force in WW2 - John Coaker
John Coaker
John Coaker was born in late 1920 to George Coaker and Edith Amy Newman, John had a younger brother Walter. The family lived at Lower Town, Leusdon.
John was educated at Leusdon School and upon leaving at the age of 14 worked as a farm labourer.
Like many young men at that time John volunteered for the Armed forces. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
John trained as an Air Gunner and as part of his training flew on night raids over Germany. It was Royal Air Force policy for bomber crews to be chosen by the pilot of the aircraft. This meant that at the end of their training the trainees were gathered together and crews of 7 were selected by the pilot of the aircraft. This method enabled men who had trained together to fly together as bomber crew., thus creating the necessary bonding between the crew members. The crew remained as a unit throughout their flying career.
On 18th February 1943, a Lancaster Bomber of 61 Squadron with a full crew of 7, based at RAF Syerston in Lincolnshire took off on a long cross-country training flight. After 7 hours of flying, fire broke out in the inner starboard engine, which, despite their best efforts the crew failed to put out. Unfortunately, the plane crashed near the village of Staunton in the Vale in Nottinghamshire.
John Coaker and the other 6 members of the crew were all killed.
John is commemorated with a Commonwealth War Grave Headstone in the churchyard of St John The Baptist Church, Leusdon and on the special war memorial in the village of Staunton-in-the-Vale in Nottinghamshire.
John Coaker's Father in the Widecombe Roll of Honour
John Coaker's Father, George Coaker, features in the Widecombe Roll of Honour.
John Coaker in Pictures
Click on an image for a larger view
Acknowledgments
All photographs are from the Widecombe History Group Archive apart from the photograph of the Lancaster Bomber which is from Wikipedia.
The information on this page was last modified on September 12 2020 18:47:51.