Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

S/Ldr Jack Fallow Anderson was the son of Robert Stanley and Agnes Anderson. He enlisted in the RAAF ON 17 January 1938, was made Pilot Officer on 17 December 1938 and also won the Mannock Cup for flying.
S/Ldr Anderson served with 2 and 11 General Reconnaissance Squadron at Laverton and Port Moresby in 1939 and 1940. During this time he undertook various coastal searches and reconnaissance missions between Australia and New Guinea. Late in 1941 he went to Ambon with Wing Commander Dallas Scott. On the evening of 30th January 1942, two Hudson aircraft remained at Ambon, detained by W/Cdr Scott so that he would have “last minute” reconnaissance reports of the enemy invasion force. With the Japanese closing in, the remaining RAAF men prepared to evacuate, and although some managed to escape, ten men with W/Cdr Scott were left and unable to fly out. The party attempted to escape across country but were captured by the Japanese and executed as prisoners of war. S/Ldr Anderson was unable to be identified and his name has been memorialised on Column 7 of the Ambon Memorial, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia.

TOORAK AIRMAN'S
DEATH REPORTED
Ofllclal notice has been received of the death of Squadron-Leader Jack Fallow Anderson at Ambon in February. 1942. He was the only son or Mrs R. S. Anderson of Canberra Road, Toorak, and formerly  of Nhill.  Squadron-Leader Anderson had served with the RAAF since  1938, when he won the Mannock Cup for flying. In 1939-40 he was stationed with 11 Squadron at Port Moresby, and in 1941 at  Singapore.  Late in 1941 he went to Ambon with the late Wing Commander Dallas Scott, and was one of the ill-fated members of that squadron who failed to return.

Following the Japanese invasion of Ambon Island a group of RAAF personnel working in support of Gull Force were captured trying to escape to Ceram. They were executed by the Japanese at Laha between the 6th and 20th of February 1942

Post-war their bodies were located in a mass grave; four individuals were positively identified and are buried in Ambon War Cemetery with the remaining seven commemorated on the Ambon Memorial to the missing

Positively identified; buried in Ambon War Cemetery with official date of death 6 of February 1942

Wing Commander Scott 250101

Flying Officer Verey 261029

Corporal Gaskin 16645

Aircraftman Evans 37304

Group burial; commemorated on the Ambon Memorial with official date of death 20 February 1942

Squadron Leader Anderson 253

Flight Lieutenant White 260624

Leading Aircraftman Walker 27521

Sergeant Read 406222

Aircraftman Harris 24987

Flight Sergeant Baker 402700

Flying Officer Meyer 290745