John Junior Willis was the son of John and Ethel Willis, of Newcastle. He enlisted into the North Staffordshire Regiment and volunteered for airborne forces.

Sergeant Willis successfully completed glider training and was posted to Support Company, 2nd (Airborne) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgt Willis was killed in action on 25 September 1944. aged 23, having set out with a PIAT in order to knock out a German tank that had broken through the area of Kneppelhoutweg - Benedendorpsweg at Oosterbeek. He was buried in the Arnhem Comunal Roman Catholic Cemetery and was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 27 August 1945.