LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Alan Vincent COUTIE
Service No: 400912
Born: Melbourne VIC, 16 February 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 November 1940
Unit: No. 232 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 232 Squadron Hurricane aircraft BE589), Sumatra, 25 January 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Vincent Coutie and Florence Ellen Coutie, of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sandringham VIC
Remembered: Column 422, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Hurricane BE589 took off from Palang, Malaya at 0955 hours on 25 January 1942 on a mission to proceed to vector of 180 degrees and pick up a convoy proceeding to Singapore. BE589 was one of four aircraft on the mission. Owing to lack of fuel, BE589 force landed near the coast of Sumatra. No further news was received of pilot or aircraft.
Later a report was received that Sergeant Coutie had reached shore in Sumatra in the vicinity of Riow Islands, and been assisted by local inhabitants and placed in hospital. All records were however lost when the Japanese occupied Malaya and Sumatra. The source of the report was not known, and the report could not be confirmed. Following post war enquiries and investigations, the search was abandoned and in 1950 Sergeant Coutie was recorded as having no known grave.
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, 163/98/431
Bibliography:
Hall, E.R. (Eldred Rayner) (O3341) Glory in Chaos: In the Vanguard of the War with Japan, Buffaloes in the Lion’s Lair, In Service with the Lion, Sembawang Association West Coburg VIC, 1989