Arthur Vincent Gowers

Arthur Vincent Gowers was born at Chelmsford on 18 June 1913 and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Colchester, before working in civilian life and moving through Territorial service into RAF flying. The Battle of Britain London Monument biography says he joined the RAFVR in 1937, gained his wings in 1938, and served with No. 85 Squadron during the Battle of Britain period. Gazette and RAFCommands records show his DFC was announced on 1 July 1941. Later he commanded No. 183 Squadron, flying Typhoons from the south-west fighter stations. On 24 October 1943 he led an attack on the German vessel Munsterland in Cherbourg harbour; the same monument account records that heavy flak was met and that his Typhoon went down in flames outside the mole. CWGC records him as a Squadron Leader, service number 40166, aged 30, commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. A separate Aircrew Remembered case page discusses the same loss as Typhoon JP396.