Coming Soon.
FORBES, John Ronald
Personal Details
| Service Number: | 419171 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 July 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | PRAHRAN, VIC, 30 December 1918 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Flying Battle, United Kingdom, 19 November 1943, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Runnymede Memorial |
Service History
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flight Sergeant, 419171 | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 419171 |
Personal Stories
Plane shot down
Ross Matheson was the pilot of RAF 15 OTU Wellington Mk X, H2129, which he was flying from Portreath Cornwall to Rabat Morocco. Two other Australians were on the flight (3 Australians out of 8 crew / passengers - F/ Sgt JR Forbes, F / Sgt JA McMurray). The Wellington was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by JU88 fighters from 2 / ZG1 at 11.05 or 11.20am. There is a German photo of the plane being shot down in the book, "Bloody Biscay".
Submitted 14 August 2025 by Bill Lane