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Bowden, John Bruce (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1943-August-23

Birth Date: 1920-March-31 (age 23)

Son of John Stewart Bowden and Isabella Bowden, of Verdun, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Home: Verdun, Quebec

Service
RCAF
Unit
297 Sqn- Squadron
Rank
Flying Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
J/11959
297 Squadron. Albemarle aircraft P 1478 failed to return from a sortie. addendum: See page 64. Three RAF members of the crew, FS.s A.E.G. Nunn, R.A. Moore, and WO. H.E. Curtis were also killed.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Flying Officer John Bruce Bowden has no known grave.

Home
Google MapVerdun, Quebec

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Panel 173

Albemarle P1478

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

This is photograph CH 012048 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-16) (Source Wikipedia)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svgAuthor Bellamy W (F/O) Royal Air Force official photographer
Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle ST Mark I series 2, P1475, of No. 511 Squadron RAF based at Lyneham, Wiltshire, in flight. One of six Mark I aircraft modified to "˜Lyneham Standard' transport configuration and used by 'C' Flight of the Squadron on the UK-Gibraltar-Algiers route.

The Armstrong Whitworth AW 41 Albemarle was a twin-engine transport aircraft developed by the British aircraft manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth and primarily produced by A.W. Hawksley Ltd, a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was one of many aircraft which entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

The Albemarle had been originally designed as a medium bomber to fulfil Specification B.9/38; however, military planners decided to deemphasis the bomber role in favour of aerial reconnaissance and transport missions, leading to the aircraft being extensively redesigned mid-development. Performing its maiden flight on 20 March 1940, its entry to service was delayed by the redesign effort, thus the first RAF squadron to operate the Albemarle, No. 295 at RAF Harwell, did not receive the type in quantity until January 1943. As a consequence of superior bombers, such as the Vickers Wellington, having arrived in quantity, all plans for using the Albemarle as a bomber were abandoned.

Instead, the Albemarle was used by RAF squadrons primarily for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider towing, in addition to other secondary duties. Albemarle squadrons participated in Normandy and the assault on Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. While the Albemarle remained in service throughout the conflict, the final examples in RAF service were withdrawn less than a year after the war's end. During October 1942, the Soviet Air Force also opted to order 200 aircraft; of these, only a handful of Albemarles were delivered to the Soviets prior to the Soviet government deciding to suspend deliveries in May 1943, and later cancelling the order in favour of procuring the American Douglas C-47 Skytrain instead. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Albermarle Transport

YouTube Armstrong Whitworth Albermarle

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
Canadian Crewed (9)
last update: 2021-10-05 17:37:15

Albemarle P1478



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