Albert Chowne
Lieutenant, 2nd/2nd Battalion (New South Wales) Australian Military Forces
- Register No.
- 212 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 2nd/2nd Battalion (New South Wales) Australian Military Forces (register: 2/2nd Battalion, AIF) all 2/2nd Battalion, AIF VCs →
- Date of action
- 25 March 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 6th September 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Born
- 19th July 1920 at Sydney, Australia
- Died
- 25th March 1945 at Wewak, New Guinea. (killed in action)
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- Lae War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
- Medal held by
- the Australian War Memorial, Canberra,
Digest of citation
On 25th March 1945 near Dagua, New Guinea, Lieutenant Chowne attacked an enemy position which was holding up further movement towards Wewak. Seeing that the leading platoon was suffering heavy casualties, Lieutenant Chowne rushed forward and knocked out two light machine guns with grenades and then, calling on his men to follow him and firing his sub-machinegun from the hip, he charged the position. Although he was twice wounded in the chest, the impetus of his charge carried him forward 50 yards under intense machine-gun and rifle fire and he accounted for two more of the enemy before he was killed
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
CHOWNE, Albert. (reg No. 212).
Lieutenant 2nd/2nd Battalion (New South Wales) Australian Military Forces.
London Gazetted on 6th September 1945 VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia..
Born on 19th July 1920 at Sydney, Australia.
Died on 25th March 1945 at Wewak, New Guinea. (killed in action).
Memorials at Lae War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Digest of Citation reads: On 25th March 1945 near Dagua, New Guinea, Lieutenant Chowne attacked an enemy position which was holding up further movement towards Wewak. Seeing that the leading platoon was suffering heavy casualties, Lieutenant Chowne rushed forward and knocked out two light machine guns with grenades and then, calling on his men to follow him and firing his sub-machinegun from the hip, he charged the position. Although he was twice wounded in the chest, the impetus of his charge carried him forward 50 yards under intense machine-gun and rifle fire and he accounted for two more of the enemy before he was killed.
Additional information:. Lieutenant Chowne also held the Military Medal (MM).
Additional information
Lieutenant Chowne also held the Military Medal (MM).
Australia..
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Lae War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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