John Loughnan Barnes was born on the 23rd of April, 1911 in Quirindi, New South Wales. He was the son of Harold Claude and Constance Charlotte Barnes, and husband of Nena Bryden Barnes, of Mitchell, Queensland.
He enlisted in the RAAF on the 5th of January, 1941 at Brisbane, Queensland.
Barnes served with No. 2 Squadron RAAF, which was based in the Northern Territory performing general reconnaissance and anti-submarine duties with Hudson aircraft.
On the 20th of April, 1943, Pilot Officer Barnes was killed when his Hudson (A16-183) was involved in a mid-air collision with Hudson A16-197 shortly after taking off from Millingimbi on a reconnaissance mission. The collision occurred some four minutes after takeoff. A16-183 crashed on one of the Crocodile Islands, north-east of Millingimbi. All five crew members — Flying Officer K. R. Mills, Flying Officer R. E. John, Sergeant H. H. Hadley, Sergeant J. L. Barnes and Sergeant T. W. Bassen — were killed.
Barnes was initially buried near Millingimbi Island on the 22nd of April, 1943, and was later reburied at Adelaide River War Cemetery, grave C.B.13, on the 1st of September, 1945.
