LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Albert JOWERS
Service No: 411788
Born: Parramatta NSW, 7 July 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 May 1941
Unit: No. 142 Squadron (RAF), Blida, Algeria
Died: Air Operations: (No. 142 Squadron Wellington aircraft DF691), off the Tunisian Coast, 23 February 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Joseph and Barbara Jowers, of Dungog, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Dungog and District Honour Roll 1939-1945, Dungog
Remembered: Hay War Memorial High School World War 2 Honor Roll, Hay NSW
Remembered: Hay War Memorial Hall and Honour Roll, Hay NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Wellington DF691 of 142 Squadron took off from RAF Blida at 0230 hours on 23 February 1943, to attack the docks at Bizerte, Tunisia. The ETA to the target was 0515 hours. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Several crews saw an aircraft crash into the sea north of Bizerte, but they could not identify the aircraft. The route recommended was as follows: Base – Cape Benut – La Galite – Bizerte – La Galite – 37.30N, 0500-E – Base. All the crew lost their lives at sea and have no known graves.
The crew members of DF691 were:
Sergeant Ernest Hill (1356019) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Albrecht Maxwell Jensen (406567) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Albert Jowers (411788) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frank Ronald Marples (1378821) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer Robert Finlay Peterson (412655) (Navigator)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/21/9
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line