LEST WE FORGET
Aircraftman Class 1 Jack FORBY
Service No: 39764
Born: Gawler SA, 21 October 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 July 1941
Unit: No. 1 Squadron, Palembang
Died: Ground Battle, Java, 1 March 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Forby, of Barton Vale, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 97, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
E R Hall records Aircraftman Forby as a radar mechanic serving at Headquarters Sembawang (Singapore) in 1941.
On the 1 March 1942, Aircraftman Class 1, a Radio Mechanic, was travelling in a staff car with Flight Lieutenant Lewis, the Commanding Officer of the detachment. He was selected for this duty because of his ability to operate a Bren gun which was mounted in the car. The convoy was attacked by the Japanese at about 0100 hours on 1 March 1942 near Tjilegon which is between Anjer and Serang, West Java.
RAAF Members lost at this time were:
Aircraftman Class 1 John Lundy Carter (43236)
Aircraftman Class 1 John Brynmor Evans (27026)
Aircraftman Class 1 Jack Forby (39764)
Flight Lieutenant Andrew Creswell Lewis (282675)
Aircraftman Class 1 Charles Dudley Potts (39872) PoW, Died: 24 June 1944
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 A705, 163/113/198
Bibliography:
Hall, E.R. (Eldred Rayner) (O3341) Glory in Chaos, Sembawang Association West Coburg VIC, 1989