| John Bracken Coffey was the second son of John and Martha ‘Lily’ Coffey. John Coffey and Martha Bracken were married on 10th June 1914 in the district of Fermanagh.
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| John Bracken Coffey was born on 24th October 1917. All three children were born in Belfast.
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| Known family: John Coffey, Martha ‘Lily’ Coffey, William Coffey (born 15th March 1915), Norah Coffey (born 20th July 1916), John Bracken Coffey (born 24th October 1917).
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| It is claimed that his mother, Martha Bracken, was a direct descendent of Thomas Bracken, an Ulsterman who wrote the New Zealand National Anthem back in the 1830's.
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| John Bracken Coffey served with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in World War Two.
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| Flight Sergeant John Coffey was serving with 153 Squadron, when his Lancaster bomber (Serial No. NX-563) was engaged in a mine laying operation in the Kattegat region, between Denmark and Sweden on 6th April 1945.
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| According to International Bomber Command, Flight Sergeant Coffey was the Wireless Operator on the mission when it was shot down by a night fighter. All seven of the crew were lost without trace The crew were:
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Sergeant Ian Ashley BIRRELL (1823774)
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Flying Officer Arthur Samuel BLAKE (54690)
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Flight Sergeant John Bracken COFFEY (1062192)
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Flying Officer Edward Owen GRIFFITH (159139)
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Sergeant George Edward THOMSON (1825993)
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Flying Officer Leonard Carlisle TURNER (160755)
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Flight Lieutenant Arthur Joseph WINDER (64893)
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| Flight Sergeant John Bracken Coffey has no known grave and is commemorated on Panel 270 of the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.
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| It is reported that John Coffey’s brother, William Coffey, served with the Royal Navy.
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| The CWGC record Flight Sergeant John Bracken Coffey as the son of John and Lily Coffey. He is also recorded as the husband of Edith Sybil Coffey of Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
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