A member of the congregation at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Holland Park killed serving in WW2.
Mark Isaac Azouz was born on 2 July 1922 at 5 Portman Street, Glasgow, Scotland, the elder child of Turkish born Raphael Azouz (1895-1988) and Esta Gitel Azouz née Schleifer (1902-2008) who had been born in Bury, Lancashire. His sister was June Cylia Azouz (1933-1972).
Much information about this man is contained on the website of our picture source, .
In 1941 he passed his Intermediate Law Examination, having been articled to a solicitor called A. L. Shane in London. His home address at the time was 43 Park Road, Chiswick, Middlesex (now Greater London).
When he was aged 18 years he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1398796. He was serving as Warrant Officer attached to No.196 Squadron when on 21 September 1944, aged 22 years, he was the pilot of a Short Stirling Mk IV aeroplane, serial number LJ810, that took off at 13.00 hours from RAF Keevil, Wiltshire, for a re-supply operation in support of Operation Market Garden. Over Gelderland, his aeroplane was hit by flak and attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. Six of his crew were able to parachute to safety but his rear gunner had died in the aircraft. He jumped last but was shot and killed whilst descending by parachute by the German 109s.
His body was originally buried at the edge of a field by the side of a road about 1½ miles south of Witchen Church and on 17 September 1946 it was exhumed and reburied in Plot 2, Row C, Grave 43, in the Jonkerbosch Old Cemetery, Winkelsteegseweg 78-80, 6534 AR Nijmegen, Netherlands. On 9 April 1947 he was again exhumed and , in the Jonkersbos British Cemetery, Burgemeester Daleslaan 35, 6532 Nijmegen, Netherlands.
He is shown as 'W/O MARK I. AZOUZ. D.F.C.' on the Holland Park Synagogue WW2 memorial at the Holland Park Sephardi Synagogue, 8 St James's Gardens, London, W11 and as 'MARK I AZOUZ' on both the Bevis Marks war memorial at Bevis Marks Synagogue, Bevis Marks, London, EC3 and Lauderdale Road Synagogue war memorial at Ashworth Road, London, W9.
He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the and on the .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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