LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Noel Oswald BOWDEN
Service No: 412307
Born: Tamworth NSW, 3 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 June 1941
Unit: No. 11 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 11 Squadron Hurricane aircraft LB797), Assam, India, 23 May 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Reginald and Elsie Bowden, of Grafton, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 443, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Avenue of Trees Memorial, Grafton NSW
At 1100 hours on 23 May 1944, Warrant Officer Bowden flying Hurricane LB 797 was detailed as Blue 2 to carry out a ‘Rhubarb’ of enemy lines of communication north of Ukrhul. About 1230 hours when Blue section was five miles south of Somra, and going towards Ukrhul, Blue 1 (Flight Lieutenant Page) sighted 10 Army O1s (Oscars) about 700 feet below to his left. Blue Section was flying just below 7/10ths cloud, but at the moment of sighting they were in the open, with the nearest cloud being 500 yards to port. Blue 1 immediately opened up full throttle and revs, dropped his tanks and turned towards the cloud closely followed by Blue 2. Blue 1 was able to lower his nose enough to take a snap shot of one enemy aircraft without visible results. Just before going into the cloud, he saw one or more Army O1s behind him firing, and in his mirror caught a quick glance of something going down in flames. He took this to be Blue 2 but could not state this definitely. Flight Lieutenant Page landed at Imphal, but Warrant Officer Bowden did not return from this mission. Warrant Officer Bowden was last seen in LB797 at position was 26.18N 0 94.44E.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/543
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line