Alain John, (1920 – 23 December 1943) was an aspiring sculptor who joined the RAF as a navigator, and was killed during the Second World War. John was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and had passed the entrance to Kings College in 1938 and was told he could travel abroad until term started. John instead chose to return to the School for a term to model a statue for an empty niche in the School tower. He finally chose the Christ in Blessing and Eric Gill, then a master at the School, said of the clay model that “No finer piece of work has been done by anyone in this country this year”. The original statue remains in place.