Caouette, Joseph Earl Walter

Operation Market Garden

Date of birth:: October 28th, 1922 (North Bay/Ontario, Canada)
Date of death:: September 19th, 1944 (Zijpendaal/Gelderland, The Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Arnhem Oosterbeek
Plot: 22. Row: C. Grave: 2-4.
Service number:: J/86779
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Joseph was born on October 28 1922 in North Bay Ontario, the son of Joseph Emile Caouette (deceased) and Marie Alexina Caouette nee Dupuis of Ottawa. They were married on August 27 1919 in Parry Sound Ontario. His siblings were Bernadette (married), Rev. Sister Alexandre Marie, Marie Claire and Jean Emile Caouette.

He was a clerk and member of the Roman Catholic Church. He spoke fluently English and French. His hobbies were collecting stamps and saving aeroplane paper models. His sports were swimming, skating, bowling, softball and skiing.

He enlisted on January 2 1941 in Toronto and he went thereafter on July 2 1943 overseas to the UK.

Joseph was killed in action on Thursday September 19 1944 age 21 due to a crash at Zijpendaal near Schaarsbergen before or after an attack on Arnhem during operation Market Garden. He was temporarily buried then in Arnhem before being reburied on June 5 1946 in Oosterbeek. His other fallen RAF Volunteer Reserve crew members were F/Lt Charles R. Slack age 23 in grave 22-C-4, F/O William S. Monger age 22 in grave 22-C-2-4 and P/O. Ivor L. W. Holloway in grave 22-C-1 The other fallen and then missed (British) RASC crew members and therefore at the Groesbeek Memorial all at panel 9 were Dvr. James Bowers age 35, Dvr. William D. Cross age 33, Dvr. George L. Weston age 23 and Drv. Robert Hodgskinson age 33.

On his headstone: "PERE, DONT LA MISERICORDE DONNE LE REPOS A L'AME, DAIGNEZ BENIR CETTE TOMBE"

He served with the 575 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force.

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