LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman Eric Francis DOW
Service No: 418740
Born: Armadale VIC, 16 July 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 June 1942
Unit: No. 7 Service Flying Training School, Deniliquin NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 7 Service Flying Training School Wirraway aircraft A20-311), near Shepparton VIC, 1 April 1943, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Shepparton Civil Cemetery, Victoria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Isabella Watt Dow, of Kew
Roll of Honour: Kew VIC
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0959 hours on 1 April 1943, Wirraway A20-311 flown by Leading Aircraftman Dow crashed during a solo navigation exercise, at Pine Lodge, 8 miles east of Shepparton, Victoria and he was killed in the accident. It appeared that he stunted over the home of his fiancee and did a stall turn without allowing sufficient height for the recovery of the aircraft before it hit the ground.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/10/31; A9845, 111; A9845, 102