Albert Edward Chowne VC MM (1920 - 1945)

Ancestors

Biography

Albert "Bert" Chowne VC MM was born on 19th July 1920 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was the fourth son and seventh child of Balmain-born parents, Arthur Chowne, a grocer, and Frances Dalziell. He went to Chatswood Boys Intermediate High School and later Naremburn Junior Technical School. He was a member of the Boy Scouts (Scouting Association). The Chowne and Dalziell families were well known in the Willoughby district where Bert grew up.

He spent a brief period in the 36th Battalion (Militia) before enlisting in the Second Australian Imperial Force in May 1940.^[1] Albert was posted to the 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, 20th Brigade.^[2] The battalion arrived in the Middle East in November 1940 and served at Tobruk during the eight-month siege from April to December 1941 - the 'Rats of Tobruk'! During his time at Tobruk, Albert transferred to the carrier platoon and was promoted to Corporal. After Tobruk the 2/13th performed garrison duties in Syria where, in September 1942, Albert was promoted to Sergeant.

As the mortar platoon sergeant, Albert was awarded the Military Medal for twice crawling close to enemy positions at El Alamein to direct mortar fire on 25th October. He was wounded in the leg and hand and spent three weeks in hospital.^[3][4] The 2/13th left Egypt in January 1943 and disembarked at Sydney in February. After leave and jungle training on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland in August the battalion embarked for Milne Bay in Papua. On 4th September the battalion departed Milne Bay on landing craft and landed on Red Beach, north-west of Lae, without casualties. It carried out subsequent jungle operations until Lae fell twelve days later. The battalion also landed at Scarlet Beach near Finschhafen on 22nd September, helping defend the area against Japanese counter-attack. Back in Australia, Albert was commissioned as a Lieutenant in January 1944.

Albert married Daphne Barton in March 1944 in St Phillip's Church of England (Anglican Church), Sydney.^[5]

Transferred to the 2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion, 6th Division, in October 1944 - normal practice upon receiving a commission - Albert brought a reputation for bravery and leadership to his new unit. In March 1945, during the Aitape-Wewak Campaign on the north coast of New Guinea, 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.^[6]

On 25th March 1945, at Dagua, seeing the leading platoon in his company's attack on Japanese positions run into trouble, Albert left cover and charged the enemy. He 'knocked out' two machine guns. Albert's actions enabled the attack to continue and, according to his Victoria Cross citation, paved the way for the 6th Division's advance on Wewak.^[7]

Sadly, Albert Chowne was killed in the action on 25th March 1945 at Dagua, New Guinea. He was buried in the Lae War Cemetery, Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Albert Chowne's name is located at panel 29 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.^[8]

Following the war, Albert's widow was issued his 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

A street in Canberra has been named after Albert as has the Lieutenant Albert Chowne, VC MM Memorial Hall at Willoughby, on Sydney's north shore.

Albert Chowne VC MM medal set

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: NX24405 Albert Chowne; accessed 20 May 2019
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 20 May 2019
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Military Medal; accessed 20 May 2019
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards (recommendation): Military Medal; accessed 20 May 2019
5. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #6780/1944
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 20 May 2019
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial Honours and Awards: Victoria Cross, announced in the London Gazette 6 Sep 1945 on page 4467 at position 1; accessed 20 May 2019
8. ↑ Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Albert Chowne; accessed 20 May 2019

See also

• Barter, Margaret. 'Chowne, Albert Edward (1920–1945)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1993; accessed online 20 May 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: Albert Chowne; accessed 20 May 2019.