LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer David Murray GOW
Service No: 413306
Born: Goulburn NSW, 13 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 242 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 242 Squadron Spitfire aircraft MH560), Italy, 25 May 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Rome War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Murray Gow and Nina Wellesley Gow, of New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War II Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
At 0700 hours on 25 May 1944 Spitfire MH560 flown by Flying officer Gow took off from Porretta airfield to carry out an armed reconnaissance near Viterbo, Italy. A message was received from the aircraft at 0745 hours, but since then nothing has been heard. At about 0740 hours eight FW 190s were sighted and engaged. Gow was heard to say at about 0745 hours that he had “got a 190”. His aircraft was seen to be smoking near the port side of the engine and MH560 failed to return from the mission and it was later learned that Flying Officer Gow had been killed.
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, 166/16/347
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line