LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Edward ALCOCK
Service No: 408056
Born: Deloraine TAS, 30 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1940
Unit: No. 13 Squadron, Hughes NT
Died: Air Operations (No. 13 Squadron Hudson aircraft A16-243), Timor, 1 October 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Reginald and Ida Victoria Alcock, of Launceston, Tasmania.
Remembered: Panel 6, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT
Roll of Honour: Launceston TAS
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Hudson A16-243, with Pilot Flying Officer John Alcock and crew of Second Pilot Flying Officer Paul Gunson, Observer Flying Officer Geoffrey Boynton, and Wireless Air Gunners Sergeant Francis Kemp and Sergeant William Powell was lost on the 1st of October over Koepang while on a reconnaissance flight. It was believed that the Japanese were moving troops from Koepang to reinforce various places on Timor, so Hudson reconnaissance flights were sent regularly over the port.
Extract from Grantham, S.R. (Sidney Richard) (6590) The 13 Squadron Story, S.R. Grantham, Dee Why NSW 2099, 1991 – Page 72
The crew members of A16-243 were:
Flying Officer John Edward Alcock (408056) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Vernon Boynton (409020) (Observer)
Flying Officer Paul Coles Gunson (407436) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Francis Peter Kemp (406871) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Stephen Powell (406813) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9300, Alcock J E
Bibliography:
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992