LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Hunter Rutledge McGOWAN
Service No: 402386
Born: Lindfield NSW, 24 October 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 August 1940
Unit: No. 244 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 244 Squadron Blenheim aircraft Z7418), Gulf of Oman, 17 September 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Hugh and Kathleen Gertrude McGowan, of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Lindfield NSW
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Honour Roll of Old Newingtonians, Stanmore NSW
At 0630 hours on 17 September 1942 Blenheim Z7418 took off from Sharjah to carry out an anti-submarine patrol in the Gulf of Oman. At 0814 hours the aircraft called requesting its signal strength and acknowledged the reply. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and it did not return to base. Extensive searches were carried out until 26 September by aircraft and surface craft. Only small pieces of wreckage and evidence of fire was found, but no trace of any survivors. In 1948 it was recorded that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of Z7418 were:
Sergeant Arthur Henry George Genny (1360246) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Hunter Rutledge McGowan (402386) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Anthony Hollis Pontius (111763) (RAFVR) (Observer)
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, 163/141/730
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line