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John Vincent Bower

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John Bower taken in Rotorua in 1942; a montage of photos of Bower mounted together with his medals; his Statement of Service, and a photo of Mangapehi Memorial where his name appears. - This image may be subject to copyright

John Bower taken in Rotorua in 1942; a montage of photos of Bower mounted together with his medals; …

Identity

  • Title
  • Forenames
    John Vincent AWMM
  • Surname
    Bower AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Jack AWMM
  • Service number
    NZ414464 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    30 June 1921 AWMM ThamesCoromandel District AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre 1 August 1941 AWMM c/o H.K. Heaton Ltd, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
    Automotive electrician/Civilian AWMM
    Automotive Electrician and Manager in the motor industry AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Dorothy Louisa Bower (mother), c/o Hotel Australia, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 feet 9 1/2 inches AWMM
    • Complexion, Unknown Period AWMM
      Dark AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Grey AWMM
    • Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Dark AWMM
    • Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
      Appendix removed by USA personnel while at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands AWMM
    • Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
      Heart attack AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Jan Green, Jack Bower's daughter, has provided the following biography of her father: Mangapehi was the home of his parents, Vincent and Dorothy Bower.

    John (Jack) Bower met an Australian, May Brown, at the Hotel Australia, Rotorua, where his mother worked as Head Chef. During the period of his war service, May, and baby son John, lived in Mangapehi until the end of the war

    After the war, May and Jack settled in Rotorua where he completed his auto electrician apprenticeship. Jack worked in the motor industry for the rest of his life in Rotorua, Tokoroa and Tauranga.

    While he seemingly had an uneventful life he was a wonderful husband and dad and a hard worker. He did not retrieve his medals from the Ministry of Defence until 1981 under pressure from his family.

    He died suddenly of a heart attack at a Motor Trade Association Golf Tournament in Te Puke aged 63 years. He had an RSA funeral

    The only recollection I have of him talking about the war was his life long aversion to tinned tomatoes and bully beef and just where that bomb was going to land. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    2 December 1984 AWMM
    Age 63 AWMM
    Te PukeBay of Plenty AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Rotorua Cemetery and Crematorium, 160 Sala Street, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM Lot 1 A, Section 18, Block 4 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    New Zealand Herald 4 December 1984 AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Mangapehi Roll of Honour AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a tribute or memory of John Vincent Bower

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • The New Zealand Herald AWMM
      New Zealand Herald 4 December 1984 AWMM
    • Rotorua Cemetery and Crematorium, 160 Sala Street, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM

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