Can anyone help me with some clarification here? I seem to have conflicting details for these two RAAF men: A19-67 T5095 Mk.1c 14/08/42 1 AD. 08/09/42 31 Sqn. 19/01/43 Missing on operation over the Ossu Timor area. Crew: Pilot WOFF Norman Leslie Thomas 407013 & Nav SGT Donald Laurie Van Nooten 13981. 1:These two men of 31 Squadron are listed online on the Australian war memorial, but Van Nooten's cause of death says 'accidental' and Thomas' says 'aerial battle', which seemed a bit odd. 2:The excerpt above I copied from ADF serials, as you see, simply lists the plane as 'missing'. 3: CWGC has both men in Ambon war cemetery, in a joint grave. Does this mean that their bodies were recovered later and buried together, and the causes of death are simply guesses? I don't suppose anyone has visited Ambon?
Well, having never visited Ambon I'd be interested to talk with anyone who has, but I'd also be most grateful if anyone has a picture of the grave that (I assume) contains the two young men.
No real conflict, just a simple typo in the AWM ROH records. I have had umpteen similar cases looked at and amendments made to the cause of death as shown by that brilliant resource. I will drop them a line and hopefully before too long the two men will have identical ROH entries for cause of death as "Flying Battle". Next, reading the casualty file for SGT Donald Laurie Van Nooten 13981 (which is available on the NAA site) shows the bodies being recovered post-war from the grave established for them by a native in the region of their crash (see attached). Interesting service number for SGT Donald Laurie Van Nooten 13981 - it would indicate that he enlisted as non-aircrew and was later accepted for aircrew training. PS - the only piece of info missing from the nominal roll entry for SGT Van Nooten is which town in Australia has his name on a Roll of Honour. Do you know of that location?
Wow- fantastically detailed and prompt responses everyone, thank you so much! Dave- unfortunately I don't know his home town or even if he was born in Australia. I do know that he was probably related somewhere down the line to my friend's dad, another van Nooten, who was being held as a young boy in an internment camp in Indonesia at the same time that his (presumed) cousin was flying against Japan. - I notice that his parents are mentioned as being from Sandringham, Victoria.
Attached is my email to the nice people that look after the AWM ROH and their response: Hi David I have amended the Roll of Honour entries for Thomas and Van Nooten – below are the links to the amended records. Van Nooten https://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/roll_of_honour/person.asp?p=562233 Thomas https://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/roll_of_honour/person.asp?p=562746 Cheers, Meredith Assistant Curator | Honour Rolls | Research Centre Australian War Memorial | GPO Box 345 Canberra ACT Good morning - the loss of aircraft A19-67 is being discussed on the ww2talk forum and a question was asked concerning why the two airmen who died in the loss had different causes of death recorded on the ROH. They are interred in a collective grave in Ambon. Is it possible for the cause of death for Van Nooten to be modified to "Flying Battle"? regards Dave WOFF Norman Leslie Thomas 407013 ('flying battle') & SGT Donald Laurie Van Nooten 13981 ('accidental')
Very many thanks for the wonderful responses. I showed this thread to my coworker who printed it out for her dad, who was a Dutch internee of the Japanese in Indonesia during the war, the name is a relatively unusual one and there is probably a family link somewhere. Most interesting.
No one seems to have noticed that the caption has 1942 as the date, when it should be 1943...... Whilst it has resulted in this enquiry being resolved without an issue, it may not be spotted if someone else is enquiring on the same loss at a future date.
