Gordon Bernard Howson                                                                    Updated: 17 JAN 2023

Airman: e777892.htm Surname: Howson Init: G B Rank: F/Lt Service: RAF Sqdn: 058

P_link: p471.htm Plane: HAL JP173 Operation: Anti ship Crash_site: The Skagerrak

Crash_d: d210245 Buried_d: e777 C_link: e777.htm At_Next: NO KNOWN

Flight Lieutenant Gordon Bernard Howson, 27 år, var søn af Gordon Rudd Howson og Tina Minnie Howson (f. Merkle), Goodmayes, Essex; gift med Helen Howson, Goodmayes, United Kingdom.
Hans navn er på Panel 265 på the Runnymede Memorial blandt mere end 20.000 navne på flyvere, der ikke har en kendt grav. (Kilde: CWGC)

Den 21. februar 1944 forsvandt HAL JP173 over Skagerrak, måske omkring her. Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:

"20/21 februar 1945. Halifax GR.II, JP173 (BY-H). 58 Squadron, 18 Group, Coastal Command, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. (Anti shipping patrol i Skagerrak). 9 MIA.

Kl. 19.00 lettede JP173. C-Charlie fra 58 Sqn angreb 6 handelsskibe i Skagerrak og G-George fra 502 Sqn angreb et 6.000 tons handelsskib og fire mindre skibe 60 km Ø for Kristiansand i Norge. JP173 og piloten F/Lt. Abel Baker samt 8 andre besætningsmedlemmer er aldrig fundet." (FT 89-73-41) Se Halifax Print. 9 flyvere.

Flight Lieutenant Gordon Bernard Howson, 27, was the son of Gordon Rudd Howson and of Tina Minnie Howson (nee Merkle), of Goodmayes, Essex, and the husband of Helen Howson, of Goodmayes, United Kingdom.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 265, among more than 20,000 airmen who have no known grave. (Source: CWGC)

On 21 February 1944 HAL JP173 disappeared over the Skagerrak, maybe about here. (Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:

"20/21 February 1945. Halifax GR.II, JP173 (BY-H). 58 Squadron, 18 Group, Coastal Command, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. (Anti shipping patrol in the Skagerrak). 9 MIA.

At 19:00 JP173 took off. C-Charlie from 58 Squadron attacked 6 merchant ships in the Skagerrak, and G-George from 502 Squadron attacked a merchant ship of 6,000 tons and 4 smaller ships 60 km east of Kristiansand in Norway. JP173 and Pilot, F/Lt Abel Baker and 8 other crew members have never been found."
(FT 89-73-41)

See RAF Coastal Command * No. 58 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia. This Halifax from No. 18 Group RAF took off from RAF Stornoway. Robin Hudson of RAFA Stornoway sent details of airmen from HAL JP333 *HAL JP302 *HAL JP173 *HAL PN402 *HAL JP299 *HAL JP330. Also HAL HX224 * HAL HR686 * HAL JP336 took off from
RAF Stornoway. See Halifax Print. See Lost Airmen from RAF Stornoway. 9 airmen.