Info: Australian? Allied Unit, Flying Officer James Leslie Mouatt 14sq RAF

Quote:
Any further information would be appreciated.

Need assistance on Who/Where/What/How for this man who is on the Australian Commemorative Roll which is for those "Australians" who died in other Allied Services. If proved not to be "Australian" their names will not be removed from the Commemorative Roll however their details will be updated accordingly.

I have researched most of the Air Force members but there are many more Land and Sea deaths in a myriad of different forces.

There is not a lot of information on these people that can be accessed easily and I ask your assistance to fill in at least some of the gaps.

Hopefully some relatives may see this thread and add more.

I will make a different thread for each along the way as they may tend to get lost if clumped together.
Commemorative Roll - James Leslie Mouatt

Service number: 134353
Rank: Flying Officer
Unit: 14 Squadron
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Conflict: 1939-1945
Date of death: 25 April 1943
Cause of death: Presumed
Cemetery or memorial details: Malta Memorial, Malta



Remembered with Honour
Malta Memorial
In Memory of
Flying Officer
James Leslie Mouatt
134353, 14 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on 25 April 1943 Age 22
Son of Gerald Leslie Mouatt, and of Margaret Jane Obre Mouatt, of Roseville, Sydney, Australia.
London Gazette 19th January 1943 Temp Flight Sergeants
25th Aug. 1942.
963575 Robert Edward OBORNE (136038). 28th
Aug. 1942. I3i539I Edward Andrew WOODS (129427). 29th
Aug. 1942.
1071583 Harold WILKES (134034). 3oth Aug.
1942.
1162798 James Leslie MOUATT (134353)- 6th
Sept. 1942.

 

Hi Spidge - I haven't looked for anything on this chappie, however, I just wanted to note that early in my RAAF career I worked for a Wing Commander Bob Mouatt in Canberra. He had a twin brother Bruce Mouatt who was a fast jet pilot (Mirage aircraft) in Williamtown.

Just wondering if (given the relatively uncommon surname and the Air Force link) they may have been nephews of the WW2 casualty.




Family notice gives info on why he enlisted in England

The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 3 July 1943

MOUATT-April 1943 missing, air operations, North Africa. Flying Officer James Leslie (Jim) Mouatt RAFVR eldest son of Mr and Mrs G L Mouatt Bank of New South Wales London



Photo of James Leslie Mouatt attached

 

Hi Spidge - I haven't looked for anything on this chappie, however, I just wanted to note that early in my RAAF career I worked for a Wing Commander Bob Mouatt in Canberra. He had a twin brother Bruce Mouatt who was a fast jet pilot (Mirage aircraft) in Williamtown.

Just wondering if (given the relatively uncommon surname and the Air Force link) they may have been nephews of the WW2 casualty.




Family notice gives info on why he enlisted in England

The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 3 July 1943

MOUATT-April 1943 missing, air operations, North Africa. Flying Officer James Leslie (Jim) Mouatt RAFVR eldest son of Mr and Mrs G L Mouatt Bank of New South Wales London



Photo of James Leslie Mouatt attached

Strangely Dave, there were only three named Douatt on the Roll of Honour and they were all RAAF.

Mouatt, Peter Albert of 24sq was sadly killed on 6/4/1945 and is on the Northern Territory Memorial. He was killed in action in the Netherlands East Indies

MOUATT, DOUGLAS GRAHAM 414946 14 Oct 1915 KILCOY, QLD RAAF
MOUATT, EDWARD GEORGE 444712 29 Mar 1919 STANMORE, NSW RAAF
MOUATT, PETER ALBERT 405523 21 Mar 1913 MACKSVILLE, NSW RAAF


Hopefully someone with a Ancestry Account could assist your latter Douatt's in the RAAF/


This on Peter Albert Douatt from WW2Aircraft.net with much more information.


6 April 1945 Attack on Isuzu

24 RAAF Sqd

B-24L Liberator A72-77

F/L Eric Valentine Ford 255138 (Pilot)
W/O CG Vickers (2nd Pilot)
F/L Lance Dixon Crowther 403560 (Nav)
F/L William Laing 406568 (Bombaimer)
F/O Bernard Thomas Jordon 406568 (WOPAG)
W/O Alan Noel Collins 424373 (WOPAG)
F/SGT Keith Jowett White 433632 (AG)
F/SGT Leslie Raine 439612 (AG)
F/SGT John Munro Waddell 443444 (AG)
F/SGT Ian Faichnie 431408 (AG)
SGT WW Sayers (F/E)

24 RAAF Sqd

B-24L Liberator A72-81

F/O Sydney Leonard McDonald 411524 (Pilot)
P/O Keith Arthur Roy Brown 426804 (2nd Pilot)
F/O Peter Albert Mouatt 405523 (Nav)
F/O Alexander George Worley 435236 (Bombaimer)
W/O Keith Roy Shilling 406816 (WOPAG)
F/SGT Leslie Kenneth Walmsley 435740 (AG)
F/SGT John Stanley Thomson 438779 (AG)
F/SGT Ronald Joseph Banks 436999(AG)
F/SGT Trevor Edward Bowen 439863 (AG)
F/SGT Allan Davis 431280 (AG)
SGT Walter Joseph Wignall MID 17299 (F/E)

Part 1

In Kupang Harbour at around dawn on 6 April 1945, the Japanese "Natori" class light Cruiser IJNS Isuzu (Captain Matsuda IJN) takes on board an army detachment and with IJN minesweepers W-12, W-34 and Torpedo boat IJNS Kari as escorts, departs for Sumbawa.

Meanwhile Nine Liberators, flying in three elements of three, commenced taking off from RAAF Fenton airstrip in the Northern Territory at 0455hrs on the morning of 6th.
The formation consisted of three 21 RAAF Sqd aircraft and six 24 RAAF Sqd aircraft.
The make up of the first element was, W/C RE Bell RAAF as No.1 and formation leader, F/L WW Kirkwood RAAF as No.2 and F/L EV Ford RAAF as No.3.
The final element was made up of S/L GJ White RAAF as No.1, F/L W Court RAAF as No.2 and F/O SL McDonald as No.3.

The Liberators were to rendezvous with B-25 Mitchells from 2 RAAF Sqd that were to strafe the ships, however the rendezvous was not made and the Mitchells, with fuel critical, continued onwards.

They had been ordered to attack the cruiser “Isuzu” and its escort vessels that had been reported in the vicinity of Sumba Island, west of Timor.
The ships were sighted between 0930-0945hrs approximately 20 miles East of Sumba Island.

The Mitchells found the cruiser near the north coast of Sumbawa and pressed home their attack causing damage to the starboard bow of the ISUZU.

It was some 10-20 minutes later that the Liberators arrived and began their attack, only to be met with an intense barrage of anti-aircraft fire.
They did however, make some hits on the bow section of the ISUZU, causing considerable damage, but failed to sink it.

During the first attack run made at about 1000hrs from 13000 ft, through intense and accurate flak, B24 A72-81, flown by F/O McDonald RAAF, was the first to be shot down.
They were attacked by two Japanese A6M3 “Hamps” from the 10 o’clock position, in line astern closing to within 50 feet, the B24 crew fighting valiantly by returning their fire to keep the fighters at bay before they broke away underneath.

Shortly after this attack F/O McDonald RAAF's aircraft lost height by 50 feet but still managed to remain in formation.
Smoke was then seen to be coming from the cockpit.
Just after the bombs were jettisoned the nose wheel compartment opened and two of the crew were seen to parachute away while another three parachuted from the forward bomb bay.

The Liberator then went into a steep climb and appeared to stall.

With flames seen in the nose wheel and bomb bay compartments the aircraft turned over on it’s port wing and dived about 6000 feet before recovering.
Again, the aircraft appeared to climb very steeply and then stalled once more, entering a second dive of about 45 degrees heading towards the cruiser but disintegrated about 3000 feet above the sea.

A72-77 (F/L EV Ford RAAF) was the next to go down.

A second bombing run made at the same height proved disastrous.

A fighter made an attack from 11 o’clock (position).

The front gunner seemed to have him covered but did not stop him.

Fate of the IJNS Isuzu

Later that day three USN submarines, SS-321 USS BESUGO, Lt Cmd HE Miller USN SS-328 USS CHARR, Cmd
FD Boyle USN and SS-252 USS GABILAN , Lt Cmd WB Parham USN Caught up with the elusive cruiser in Sape Strait.
USS BESUGO fired 9 torpedoes which missed the ISUZU, but sunk the minesweeper W-12.
The ISUZU makes it into Bima Bay and off loads Her troops successfully.

Before dawn the next day 7 April 1945, as ISUZU leaves Bima with KARI and W-34, USS CHARR makes long distance radar contact and alerts the USS GABILAN.
At 0600 USS GABILAN attacks and one of her torpedoes strike the cruiser below the bridge causing flooding in the forward section and considerable loss of speed.
At about 0830 USS CHARR manouvres into position and fires four torpedoes, with three hits.
Shortly afterward, the bow of the ISUZU breaks off, she capsizes and sinks at 0738 South 11809 East.

The sinking is witnessed and then confirmed by the British submarine HMS SPARK also in the aera.


Also something here with original photographic prints:
Attack on Isuzu

 

"Hopefully someone with a Ancestry Account could assist your latter Douatt's in the RAAF"


A quick google provided all sorts of info on the Mouatt brothers - my ex-CO Bob went on to a position with Orienteering Australia and eventually picked up an honour in the Queen's Birthday list.

Bruce's RAAF career shows him as one of the first to pick up a shiny new F18 in 1986 and become CO of one of the Hornet squadrons.

 

"Hopefully someone with a Ancestry Account could assist your latter Douatt's in the RAAF"


A quick google provided all sorts of info on the Mouatt brothers - my ex-CO Bob went on to a position with Orienteering Australia and eventually picked up an honour in the Queen's Birthday list.

Bruce's RAAF career shows him as one of the first to pick up a shiny new F18 in 1986 and become CO of one of the Hornet squadrons.

Not one Douatt appears in the White Pages national phone directory.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Not one Douatt appears in the White Pages national phone directory.

Cheers

Geoff



Anybody with the surname Mouatt instead??

 

Anybody with the surname Mouatt instead??

BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Dave!

I was going through the D's in the commemorative roll when I saw your last post and thought AH the white pages and typed Douatt.

Anyhow:

There are 3 R's and none with B.

Bracken Ridge in Qld
Wanniassa in the ACT
Roseville NSW

So your guy "Bob" may be one of these.

James Leslie Mouatt was from Roseville in Sydney so quite a coincidence
Peter Albert Mouatt's NOK was Pelican Island NSW


Cheers

Geoff

 

I am starting to suspect that Bruce & Bob weren't twins - Bob enlisted in 1956 & Bruce appears to have joined up around 1969/70


Bob (Robert) definitely lives at Wanniassa in the ACT - no idea on where Bruce ended up.



Robert Arthur Mouatt OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) - "Professionally, I spent 30 years in the RAAF as a logistics officer and then 10 years as a senior public servant. During the last 18 years of my time in the RAAF I served as a staff officer in positions throughout southeastern Australia, in New Zealand and in Great Britain.

After leaving the RAAF in 1986, I was recruited into a senior position in a federal government authority, with which I remained until early 1997."




Bruce John Stewart Mouatt picked up an MiD in Vietnam and an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in 1986 for Service to the Royal Australian Air Force as Director of Operations in the Tactical Fighter Project Office.

As of June 2007 he was Director of the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS)

 

hi there James Leslie Mouatt is my great uncle i am visiting malta for ANZAC this year to visit the memorial as that was the date he went missing in action if you would like any information about him we would be more than willing to assist please

 

hi there James Leslie Mouatt is my great uncle i am visiting malta for ANZAC this year to visit the memorial as that was the date he went missing in action if you would like any information about him we would be more than willing to assist please

Fantastic!

That would be really appreciated.

I will contact you by email.

Any quality information we receive will ensure that these brave lads are remembered with details of how they became to be in the RAF.

Cheers

Geoff

 

James Leslie Mouatt is mentioned in the "Winged Promise" history of 14 Squadron RAF
My son HMDavey is my son, could anyone tell me how we go about getting information on service records.
Regards
Malcolm

That would be really appreciated.

I will contact you by email.

Any quality information we receive will ensure that these brave lads are remembered with details of how they became to be in the RAF.

Cheers

Geoff[/QUOTE]

 

James Leslie Mouatt is mentioned in the "Winged Promise" history of 14 Squadron RAF
HMDavey is my son, could anyone tell me how we go about getting information on service records.
Regards
Malcolm



Hi Malcolm,

This is a link which gives you information on how to apply and who can apply and what information you will receive.

There is a charge and there is a significant wait to receive those records.

Ministry of Defence | About Defence | What we do | Personnel | Service Records | Making a Request for Information held on the Personnel Records of Deceased Service Personnel

Someone else may come along to provide more useful information as I have never applied for UK records.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Further information, the Mouatt Family sailed to England from Perth on the P&O ship Orion, along with the 1938 Australian Cricket team, their father Gerald, was taking up a post in London with the Bank of NSW. According to my Mother, when war was declared, the Bank offered to send them home but another family would have been sent over, so they apparently stayed and Jim, as he was know, started work in the Bank of NSW before joining the RAF, because he could not join an Australian Squadron in London. He was very proud to be an Aussie and had an "Australian" shoulder flash. His name is on the Bank of NSW (Westpac) Roll of Honour that was in their head office in George Street, Sydney. We are not sure where it is now.
Signed Michele Mouatt, Malcolm's partner & Hamish's mother. If you would like more information we would be happy to talk to you on the phone.
PS. My mother was the one who got his name on the Roll in Canberra but her aim was to get his name on the wall.

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Thank you very much for the extra information. I know how hard it is to have those Australians who fought in other allied forces added to the Roll of Honour.

There are many who did however they are referred to as on loan to the RAF. I have over forty who are on neither and I believe an effort has to be made to have these on the Commemorative Roll at least.

I am in the process of writing a bio on another Australian who died in the RAF after his family left for England before the war. He is not on the Commemorative Roll either.

A call to Westpac's PR arm may achieve something about the roll of honours whereabouts.

I am tied up for the next couple of weeks but would love to have a chat about his early life up to leaving Australia. Let me know your number by PM as it is secure.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Thank you very much for the extra information. I know how hard it is to have those Australians who fought in other allied forces added to the Roll of Honour.

There are many who did however they are referred to as on loan to the RAF. I have over forty who are on neither and I believe an effort has to be made to have these on the Commemorative Roll at least.

I am in the process of writing a bio on another Australian who died in the RAF after his family left for England before the war. He is not on the Commemorative Roll either.

A call to Westpac's PR arm may achieve something about the roll of honours whereabouts.

I am tied up for the next couple of weeks but would love to have a chat about his early life up to leaving Australia. Let me know your number by PM as it is secure.

Cheers

Geoff[/QUOTE]

 

Thank you Malcolm.

Great photo.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Mouatt is my mother's name and a prominent Shetland surname, lots of Mouatt's emigrated to Australia and NZ over many years, I can't find a link to James Leslie down my line at the moment, but I'm certain he's a relative, as James is also a family name
Bayanne is a pretty good site to trace Shetland genealogy but it's a bit of a minefield to research as they were all large family's and emigrations happened over a couple of centuries with different family's emigrating
So far I have been looking at Captain Peter Mouatt's line, but I can't seem to trace any of his grandchildren through Australia
Also spellings are all over the place there was mouat, mowat, morat, mowatt. Mouatt all we believe to be related and there is a lot in the British naval records listed in the Cook expeditions
Sea faring family so makes sense, lots of Shetlanders were conscripted into the navy at various times in history