• Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)

Date of birth:

December 11th, 1920 (Hamilton/Ontario, Canada)

Date of death:

May 17th, 1943 (Borken, Germany)

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Cemetery Reichswald Forest
Plot: 21. Row: D. Grave: 16-18.

Service number:

R/84377

Nationality:

Canadian

Abram Garshowitz was born on 11 December 1920 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the ninth of twelve children of Russian immigrants Samuel and Sarah Garshowitz. A keen sportsman, he excelled in American football and rugby, playing alongside future RCAF comrade Frank Garbas in the Hamilton Junior Rugby League.

Before the war, he worked as a salesman but enlisted in the RCAF in January 1941, stating his motivation was "to fight for the country." He qualified as a wireless operator/air gunner in April 1942. After further training in England, he joined a crew under pilot Max Stephenson with Floyd Wile, Donald Hopkinson, Richard Bolitho, Frank Garbas, and John Kinnear.

Initially posted to 9 Squadron, the crew transferred to 57 Squadron at Scampton after losing Stephenson in action. They were then assigned to experienced pilot Bill Astell, undertaking their first mission to Lorient in February 1943. By March, the crew joined the newly formed 617 Squadron under Guy Gibson’s command.

Known for his humor, Albert famously inscribed their mine on the Dams Raid with the words “Never has so much been expected of so few.” Tragically, their Lancaster, AJ-B, encountered flak near Marbeck, struck a pylon, and crashed, killing the crew. Initially buried in Borken, they were reinterred in 1948 at the Reichswald Forest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

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• Photo 1: Findagrave
• - CWGC
  - Dambusters

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