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Bryan Victor Bowen

Flight Sergeant Pilot - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves - 207 Squadron - Service No. 1330289

Background Information

Born

10th October 1921

Academics

Rank

Flight Sergeant Pilot - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves - 207 Squadron - Service No. 1330289

Campaigns

Died

12th September 1944 age 22

Bryan Victor Bowen was born on the 10th October 1921 in Gravesend, Kent. His father was Frank Edward Bowen, a Thames Waterman, and his mother was Hilda Annie (née Berridge). The first school that he attended was Holy Trinity School in Gravesend.
In 1932 Bryan Bowen joined The County School for Boys – now known as Gravesend Grammar School. The Head Master at that time was the Reverend Samuel Lister. The County School for Boys was located in Darnley Road, Gravesend close to the Railway Station. In 1938 the School moved to brand new premises in Church Walk, Milton, Gravesend opposite to Milton Church.
The School’s Admission Register lists Bryan’s home address as 59 Peacock Street, Gravesend. Whilst at the School, Bryan was in Hill House.
In 1937 Bryan left the School and was apprenticed to a Waterman. During World War Two, he enlisted with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves. He trained in Canada and married Margaret Anne Carr in St John, New Brunswick. After training he joined 207 Squadron as a Flight Sergeant Pilot, Service Number 1330289. 207 Squadron were the first to be used for long range night bombing raids, and the first to operate Handley Page bombers. Bryan and his crew flew Lancaster Bombers from Spilsby in 1944.
Bryan Bowen was killed when his aircraft was shot down, crashing at Birkenstrasse 22, in the centre of Stuttgart on the 12th September 1944, he was 22 years of age. He is remembered at Durnbach War Cemetery, Bayern, Germany Coll. grave 11. C. 15-18.

There are links below to Newspaper Clippings and Photographs from the Gravesend Grammar School Archives.

Also links to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and a few other websites that might be of interest:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2079833/
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/102354
http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/rollofhonour/207cemeteries_Germany.htm

Durnbach War Cemetery, Bayern, Germany