John McGowan

Photo: Chilton Cemetery

November 2021 1

November 2021 2

1861916 Sergeant
J. McGowan
Flight Engineer
Royal Air Force
21st January 1944 Age 29

Never In The Field
Of Human Conflict
Was So Much Owed
By So Many To So Few

John McGowan was born in 1915, the son of John William and Mary Olive Emily McGowan nee Toole. In 1935 he married Grace Lilian Lark at Paddington.

Sgt. McGowan was serving with 427 Squadron (Canadian). He was a crew member of Halifax V LL191 ZL-N which took off on the night of 20th-21st January 1944 from Leeming on a mission to Berlin. On the return journey, on the third attempt to land at Coltishall, the aircraft crashed and caught fire. The heroic efforts of a local farmer and his wife meant that three of the crew were pulled to safety. Four were injured, 1 died, and Sgt. McGowan died on the 23rd.

The Halifax was piloted by Flying Officer William Arthur Cozens at Westwick close to RAF Coltishall near Norwich, farmer Joe Mutimer and his wife Noele were preparing for bed in their home at Orchard House. Almost overhead Cozens desperately tried to land 'N-Nuts' on the single runway at the fighter station. Twice he was forced to abort. He went around again for a third attempt but he was too low and the starboard wing hit some tall trees in a nearby wood, shearing all the wing and two engines. The remainder of the Halifax carried on through the trees, finally coming to rest in a ball of fire within yards of Orchard House. The navigator, Flying Officer Laurence George Biddiscombe was killed instantly.

Startled, Joe and Noele immediately got out of bed and realised instantly that an aircraft had come down. Because the crash had cut all the power lines to the house, Joe asked his wife to cycle up the road to alert Mr Eldred, the local ARP man and notify him of the crashed aircraft.

Joe went bravely to rescue the surviving members of the crew trapped in the burning bomber. Constable Emmerson who happened to be passing helped in the rescue of the crew. Their bravery resulted in Flight Sergeant C. L. Bernier and Sergeant R. B. Nairn being pulled from the bomber alive and taken into Orchard House. Unfortunately, Flight Sergeant H. P. Whittaker and Flight Engineer Sergeant John McGowan died of their injuries

Source : The Night Air War Martin W. Bowman, Pen and Sword Books Ltd, ISBN 9781783831913 2015.

This was a night when 42 aircraft, each with an average crew of 7, who set out to bomb Berlin were lost.

Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1944; W.R. Chorley; 1997; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 0 904597 91 1

427 Squadron (B) Codes: ZL Canadian Based at Leeming and converted from Wellingtons to B Mk V Halifaxes in May 1943. Converted to B Mk III's January 1944, but began conversions to Lancaster's in February. Last operational mission, mining in Norwegian waters. 3rd March 1944.

Halifax V LL191 was on Contract No ACFT/637, requisition HA3/E11/40. Rootes Securities Ltd, (480 aircraft). Deliveries commenced 18.7.1943 (LK890), and 13.5.1944 (LL543). B/A/Met, Mk V, LK 890-932, LK945-976, LK988-999, LL112-153, LL167-198, LL213-258, LL270-312, LL325-367, LL380-423, LL437-469, LL481-521, LL534-542. GR Mk V LL122. B/A Mk III LL543-559, LL573-615.

Source : The Handley Page Halifax Kenneth A. Merrick, Aston publications, ISBN 0946627 608 1990.

Lilian McGowan married Leslie J Fryett in 1948 at Willesden Middlesex. She died in 1985.

John McGowan is remembered at Chilton on C107.05 and C107.12

427 Squadron Casualty List WW2
Bomber Command 427 Squadron
RAF Museum
The CWGC entry for Sergeant McGowan