Temp Lt W E Gower MC RFC

[soldier75]

Hi,

Further to my last post re Sgt Mottershead VC DCM, I have recently been shown documents from the family that state that Sgt Mottershead's observer on the day, Lt William Edward Gower, in the action that earned them a respective VC and MC, was killed later in the war, has anyone done any research on Lt Gower or can they do a look up for me, RAF/RFC research is not my forte.

Thanks

H

[norwood]

Hi,

Hope this is useful, you will find a ref two both persons mentioned above here : https://archive.org/details/timeshistoryofwa12londuoft

Page 182

Norwood

[soldier75]

Norwood,

Many thanks for the info, I have checked CWGC site using every permutation I can thihk of but no trace of an officer with the initials WE, the only officer mentioned is a 2nd Lt in the Tank Corps. I did say in the initial post that this is possibbly anecdotal information from the family. Thanks anyway.

H

[Dolphin]

Lt W E Gower is listed as 'Wounded' in Flight of 8 February 1917. His MC citation was printed in March:

Temp. Lt. WILLIAM EDWARD GOWER, Notts and Derby R. and R.F.C.

When his machine was set on fire, he stood up in his seat and sprayed his pilot with a fire extinguisher, thereby enabling his pilot to regain control of the machine and to make a successful landing.

Gareth

[josquin]

The Notts & Derby connection appears in the BMD birth registry for William Edward Gower: birth registered at Shardlow, Derbyshire, in the 1st Quarter 1891.

His RAF officer's service record can be downloaded from the National Archives at Kew, for a small fee, by using this file reference:

William Edward Gower 4 April 1891 AIR 76/189/212

I cannot find any records-- BMD, Probate, SDGW or CWGC, confirming Gower's death during the Great War years. The service record should settle whether or not Gower survived the war.

Regards,

Trelawney

[Dolphin]

Lt W E Gower isn't listed in Airmen Died, so it looks like he didn't pass away while in the RFC or RAF. However, there's a chance that he left the air service and went back to his regiment.

Gareth

[Airshipped]

The medal rolls index card for him contains the following phrase "A/M fwds form 488 re-medals d/2-.5.23" which I would take to mean that the Air Ministry forwarded a form called 488 on 2nd May 1923. Someone might be better-informed as to which forms were used by applicants themselves and which were used by surviving next-of-kin.

The correspondence address was as follows:

62 Arthur Street,

Strutts' Park,

Derby.

[soldier75]

Trelawney, Dolphin and airshipped, many thanks for the additional info. I will chase it up.

H

[soldier75]

Trelawney,

Thanks for the link to the service record, downloaded it and it makes very interesting reading. It would appear that he never flew again after the VC/MC action and had several bouts of admissions to hospitals with nervous stress. He left 20 Squadron on 26th March 1917 and was eventually posted to the School of Photography at Langham Place,? London.

Saw service in Egypt and Palestine in 1918-1919, he became an EO2, Photography with an artillery wing. He served in Palestine with 111 Squadron and was mentioned in despatches on 5th May 1919 for service in Egypt.

Shortly after the VC/MC action he was diagnosed with "Nervous Stress" and it was noted on his record that he was unsuitable for flying training as either pilot or observer. He was transferred to the Unemployed list in November 1919.

Question, does EO 2 stand for Equipment Officer?

H