LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Vernon Frederick LOWE
Service No: 405314
Born: Maryborough QLD, 28 June 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 March 1941
Unit: No. 12 (Pilot) Advanced Flying School Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 12 (Pilot) Advanced Flying School Unit Blenheim aircraft L1312), Lincolnshire, 19 September 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Grantham Cemetery, Lincolnshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Stead Lowe and Amy Beatrice Lowe, of Maryborough, Queensland, Australia. A.B.I.A.
Roll of Honour: Maryborough QLD
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1115 hours on 19 September 1943, Blenheim L1312 took off from Grantham airfield with Flying Officer Lowe, a capable and experienced instructor, authorised to give dual instrument flying instruction to his student Sergeant Owen. The duration of the flight was scheduled to be one hour 15 minutes. Warrant Officer Bayman a competent navigation instructor was authorised to do two navigation tests, one with Flying Officer Summers as the student, followed by Sergeant E K Craig as his student. Bayman took off in Blenheim L6796 accompanied by Summers. At about 1215 hours Bayman took off again from Grantham with Craig and was due to land at 1315 hours. Both aircraft were involved in a collision and crashed about two to three miles south east from the Grantham airfield. The members of both crews were killed.
The crew members of L1312 were:
Flying Officer Vernon Frederick Lowe (405314) (Instructor Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Donald Henry Owen (1313798) (RAFVR) (Pilot under instruction)
The crew members of L6796 were:
Warrant Officer Alfred Robert William Bayman (1382238) (RAFVR) (Instructor Pilot)
Sergeant William Kirkland Craig (971603) (RAFVR) (Pilot under instruction)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/25/81