William Ellis Bowden Rank: Flight Lieutenant Status: Prisoner of War Japan 1941-12-08

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Bowden, William Ellis (Flight Lieutenant)

Prisoner of War Japan 1941-December-08

Male Head

Birth Date: 1918-October-18 (age 23)

Son of Mr and Mrs George S Bowden, nephew of Isabel Bowden of Ottawa and Jack Bowden of Montreal.

Home: Ottawa, Ontario

Service
RAF

Unit
60 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Per Ardua Ad Aethera Tendo I strive through difficulties to the sky

Base
Kuantan airfield

Rank

Flight Lieutenant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Pilot

Service Numbers
40502

Flight Lieutenant William Ellis Bowden (RAF)(Can) s/n 40502 was with 60 Squadron and was shot down while flying a Blenheim Bomber (L4913) over the Gulf of Siam. His plane had departed Kuantan Airfield on the morning of 8 Dec 1941 at 0630 to attack Japanese shipping at Kota Bharu. His plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire and, in his attempt to crash land at sea, the plane disintegrated and Canadian-born Bowden was the sole survivor. He clung to the plane's tailwheel and was finally rescued after 24 hours by a Japanese ship then taken to Tokyo, most likely to Ofuna POW Camp. He had the dubious distinction of being the first Allied airman captured by the Japanese

Before May 15, 1942, he arrived at the Zentsuji POW Camp. We do know that his picture was taken on or before this date at Zentsuji where he remained until late June 1945. He, along with all the British officers, were sent to Tokyo 12D Camp at Mitsushima (Hiraoka) where he was eventually rescued in September 1945

According to Warner's "Blenheim", L4913 "In Bloody Shambles", the a/c is recorded as a Mk IV with Bowden as the only survivor, but with no other crew names) and was shot down whilst attacking landing craft off Kota Bharu, N E Malaya. The pilot, F/Lt W Bowden was taken POW, his crew, Pilot Officer WAB Logan (RAAF), and Sergeant TL Clarke (RAF) were KIA. Warner gives the date as 8/12/41

Flight Lieutenant Bowden was killed in an aircraft accident on May 29, 1951 in England; details on his life can be found at the Chippenham Cemetery website. Special thanks to John Belcher for this information

General Military Images.net

General Aviation safety network

General William Bowden

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Home

Ottawa, Ontario

Blenheim L4913

Male Head

Flight Lieutenant Bowden, William Ellis (RAF)
Pilot
Prisoner of War Japan
1941-December-08
cemetery unknown

Bristol Blenheim

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3602838)
Bristol 142M Blenheim Mk.V, RAF (Serial No. DJ702).

The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years and in some cases throughout the Second World War. The aircraft was developed as Type 142, a civil airliner, in response to a challenge from Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry, impressed by its performance, ordered a modified design as the Type 142M for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber. Deliveries of the newly named Blenheim to RAF squadrons commenced on 10 March 1937. Wikipedia

YouTube Bristol Blenheim Bomber

Wkikpedia Bristol Blenheim

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF Owned (1) RCAF 400 Squadrons (12) Canadian Crewed (197)

last update: 2021-10-05 20:09:43

Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg

Lancaster FM213

Andrew Mynarski, VC

Bowden, William Ellis (Flight Lieutenant)

Prisoner of War Japan 1941-December-08

Blenheim L4913

Bristol Blenheim

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

Blenheim Mk. lV L4913

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