James Richard Gowen

A Corporal with the Royal Air Force, James died on 7th of April 1942 aged 20. 

James was born at Lowestoft in 1922, a son of James Edward and Violet Emma Gowen. In 1939 his family lived at 49 Poplar Road, Carlton Colville. 

James enlisted in the Royal Air Force as an aircraft apprentice. 

In April 1942 James was serving with 252 Squadron in Egypt. On 7 April he was involved with the recovery of a crashed aircraft at Edcu (given as Ikdu in some sources) when guns on the aircraft fired accidentally hitting James in the chest. James was taken to No 3 General Hospital where he died of wounds.  

WITH THANKS TO:Malcolm Barrass