Royal Canadian Air Force.

[shortbuss55]

Hello all; I hope all is well. I think this is in the right place. My mother really enjoys genealogy. My grandmother (my mother's mother) lost her cousin "OVENS, JOHN ALLEN" around November 7, 1943, after his flight took off. Family "tales" suggest that his plane was lost over the Bermuda Triangle. However, a couple of distant family members believe his plane was lost in a jungle, possibly in the top part of South America. The only information I have on John "Allen" Ovens is that he was a Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he was declared lost around November 7, 1943. A marker in Ottawa commemorates his loss: OTTAWA MEMORIAL Panel 2. Column 4. I will post more information when I get it. I'll post pictures of Mr. Ovens when I return home from work.

Thank you for reading my post!

From Alex/Alex's Mum

[Thanatos]

Cheers Alex for your post mate.
I look forward to seeing the images of your family member.
All the best
Dave

[shortbuss55]

Thank you for the response Dave!


From Alex

[Thanatos]

My pleasure Alex.
Your family members aircraft may have been involved in ASW work (the Bermuda Triangle theory) or the protection of the Panama canal (the jungle theory) so both are quite plausible outcomes I feel.
All the best mate
Dave

[asterperious]

from the book "The Ocean Bridge: P/O John Allen Ovens, RCAF, J/27170 was a loss over water from 45 Air Transport Group, Ferry Command. It looks like he was the second pilot:

Ventura GR.V FP647 - apparently destined for South Africa according to the Air-Britain book 'British Purchasing Commission'
• Leonard Sylvester Lumb, Canadian civilian, pilot
• P/O John Allen Overns, RCAF Nav [Ovens]
• Eugene Gilbert Antoine Young, Canadian civilian, radio operator
• LAC Charles Ewart Conroy, RCAF, passenger, radar mechanic
Lost out of Trinidad.

Who knows, storms are pretty intense in that region, and a malfunctioning instrument or erroneous nav plot could send you out to sea forever.

[asterperious]

BTW - you can get his service record from: Introduction - Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead - Library and Archives Canada

make sure you enter his J service number.

[shortbuss55]

My mum said to thank you both very much for your help!

asterperious:
"...45 Air Transport Group, Ferry Command. It looks like he was the second pilot..."
Would this mean that his plane was flying with other planes when it was lost? May we ask what "second pilot" means, please?

My mum didn't know that his military record could be ordered (she knew about WWI records). She will look into that; again thank you. I think I might try to find out what he earned in his military career and see if I can collect some of the items.

His family had sad circumstances: J.A. Ovens' mother died right after his birth; his father never remarried; he was an only child; then, he passed away at a young age.

From Alex

[asterperious]

Alex,

Well I was a bit sleepy whn I posted last night. Ovens was the Navigator, not pilot. The pilot was a civilian.

[shortbuss55]

Thank you for your response, asterperious. We had always thought he was a Navigator, so we were a bit shocked. But thank you for the clarification.

I am still looking for the pictures.

From Alex