Service number | NX24405 |
---|---|
Ranks Held | Lieutenant, Sergeant |
Birth Date | 1920-07-19 |
Birth Place | Australia: New South Wales, Sydney |
Death Date | 1945-03-25 |
Death Place | New Guinea1: Dagua |
Final Rank | Lieutenant |
Service | Australian Army |
Units |
|
Places | |
Conflict/Operation | Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Gazettes |
Published in London Gazette in 1944-03-02 Published in London Gazette in 1945-09-06 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1944-02-10 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1945-09-13 |
Lieutenant Albert Chowne
Albert Chowne, Victoria Cross recipient, was born in Sydney on 19 July 1920. He went to Chatswood Boys Intermediate High School and later Naremburn Junior Technical School. In 1935 he began work as a shirt-cutter at David Jones. Outside work, Chowne enjoyed sports, mainly tennis and rugby union, and was also a member of the scouts.
He spent a brief period in the 36th Militia Battalion before enlisting in the AIF in late May 1940. Chowne was assigned to the 2nd/13th Battalion as platoon and later company runner. The unit arrived in the Middle East in November 1940 and served at Tobruk for eight months the following year. During his time at Tobruk, Chowne transferred to the carrier platoon and was promoted to corporal. After Tobruk the 2nd/13th performed garrison duties in Syria where, in September, Chowne was promoted to sergeant. He was wounded in the leg and hand at El Alamein the following month and spent three weeks in hospital. He returned to Australia with the battalion in January 1943 before moving to Papua in July.
Chowne, now the mortar platoon sergeant, was awarded the Military Medal for twice crawling close to enemy positions to direct mortar fire. Regarded as exceptionally cool by his comrades, Chowne combined fearlessness with a self-effacing manner. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1944 and he married Daphne Barton in March that year. Having completed the jungle warfare training course at Canungra, Chowne was posted to a new unit, the 2nd/2nd Battalion, in October 1944. The 2nd/2nd was sent to New Guinea two months later.
Chowne brought a reputation for bravery and leadership to his new unit. In March 1945 he carried out a one-man patrol in daylight, at one stage entering an empty hut and rifling through the belongings of Japanese soldiers, one of whom he shot when he was discovered. Some who knew him believed that Chowne was destined to either win the Victoria Cross or be killed in action. Sadly both happened. On 25 March 1945, Chowne, seeing the leading platoon in his company's attack on Japanese positions run into trouble, left cover and charged the enemy. He managed to knock out two machine guns before being killed. Chowne's actions enabled the attack to continue and, according to his citation, paved the way for the 6th Division's advance on Wewak.
Chowne was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously and was buried in the Lae War Cemetery in New Guinea. A street in Canberra was named after him as was a community hall in Willoughby, Sydney.
Rolls
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
-
Roll of Honour:
- Unit
- 2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Rank
- Lieutenant
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Rank
- Sergeant
- London Gazette
- 02 March 1944 on page 1042 at position 15
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 10 February 1944 on page 445 at position 15
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Rank
- Lieutenant
- London Gazette
- 06 September 1945 on page 4467 at position 1
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 13 September 1945 on page 1979 at position 1
Timeline
Date of birth | 19 July 1920 | Sydney, NSW. |
---|---|---|
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs) | 30 May 1940 | Chowne enlisted with the AIF and was assigned to the 2/13 Battalion. |
Other | 1940-11 | The 2/13 Battalion arrived in the Middle East. |
Date promoted | 1941-09 | Promoted to sergeant. |
Date wounded | 1941-10 | Wounded in the leg at El Alamein. |
Date returned to Australia | 1943-01 | |
Other | 1943-07 | The 2/13 Battalion arrived in Papua New Guinea. |
Date commissioned | 1944-01 | Comissioned as a lieutenant. |
Date of honour or award | 02 March 1944 | Military Medal. |
Other units | 1944-10 | Chowne was posted to the 2/2 Battalion and he served with them in Papua New Guinea. |
Date of death | 25 March 1945 | Killed in action in New Guinea. |
Date of honour or award | 25 March 1945 | Posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross whilst serving with 2/2 Battalion, 16 Brigade, 6 Division as a Lieutenant. Chowne and the 2/2 battalion attacked an enemy position, near Dagua, which was holding up further movement towards Wewak. Chowne seeing the leading platoon was suffering heavy casualties charged forward, without awaiting orders, calling for the 2/2 battalion to follow him. Although he was mortally wounded during the battle, his actions helped result in the capture of the enemy position. |
Share this page
Related information
Conflicts
Units
Places
Objects
Related Objects
- DAGUA, NEW GUINEA. 1945-03-25. ONE OF THE GUNS OF THE 2/2ND FIELD REGIMENT FIRING AT A JAPANESE ...
- CAPE PUS, NEW GUINEA. 1945-11-03. CORPORAL C. LETCHFIELD (1) AND SERGEANT S.E. BAILEY (2) ...
- CAPE PUS, NEW GUINEA. 1945-11-03. LANCE CORPORAL W.T. FALLSHAW (1), SERGEANT S.E. BAILEY (2) AND ...
- CAPE PUS, NEW GUINEA. 1945-11-03. CHAPLAIN N.D. WINN, 2/2 INFANTRY BATTALION (1) PHOTOGRAPHED ...
- LIEUTENANT ALBERT CHOWNE VC MM, 2/2ND INFANTRY BATTALION. ON A NARROW RIDGE NEAR DAGUA, NEW ...
- C. 1944. LIEUTENANT ALBERT CHOWNE VC MM, 2/2ND INFANTRY BATTALION. ON A NARROW RIDGE NEAR DAGUA, ...
- Stratton, Norman Edmond (NX200946, Corporal, 2/2 Battalion)
- The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX24405) Lieutenant Albert Edward Chowne VC, 2/2nd Battalion, Second Australian Imperial Force, Second World War
- Victoria Cross : Lieutenant Albert Chowne, 2/2 Battalion, AIF
- Military Medal: Sergeant A Chowne, 2/13 Battalion