LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Roy John JABOUR
Service No: 402956
Born: South Grafton NSW, 24 November 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 November 1940
Unit: No. 246 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 246 Squadron Sunderland aircraft DV979), Scotland, 24 January 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bowmore New Parish Churchyard, Isle of Islay, Argyllshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Osma and Rose Jabour, of Grafton South, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Grafton South NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Remembrance Walk, Grafton NSW
Remembered: Avenue of Trees Memorial, Grafton NSW
On the 24 January 1943 Sunderland DV979 took off from RAF Port Ellen and crashed. A Court of Inquiry into the accident found that “the cause of the accident was an error of judgement by the Captain of the aircraft in that he overestimated his altitude thereby undershooting the flare path and striking an object 35 feet above sea level and 1,300 yards from the first flare. It would appear that both pilots were concentrating on looking for objects directly below instead of using the flare path to estimate their height and relative position.” The depth charges on board the aircraft exploded when the aircraft crashed. Nine on board the aircraft were killed and three were injured
The crew members of DV979 were:
Sergeant Walter Eric Charles Heath (655954) (RAF) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant G Hogg (985071) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Mechanic) Slightly Injured
Sergeant Douglas Howarth (653262) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Roy John Jabour (402956) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Wallace Arthur Johnston (J/17452) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Captain E J Levers (102439) (SAAF) (Pilot) Injured
Sergeant George Charles Major (658534) (RAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Ernest Gordon Palmer (401718) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant George Cyril Phillips (1214033) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Simpson (1067773) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Henry John Tasker (1376397) (RAFVR) Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant J I Williams (1415153) (RAFVR) (Flight Mechanic Engines/Air Gunner) Slightly Injured
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, 166/20/7
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line