Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Warrant Officer Keith McGowan (Service No:205860) served with the Cadets and ACMF (4th Division Signals; 1935/1937) before enlisting in the RAAF on 2 October 1939 at RAAF Training Depot Laverton as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Messman. By 1942 he was a Warrant Officer - mustered as Nursing/Medical Orderly, and served at RAAF Hospital Heidelberg, 10 Medical Clearing Station (MCS) and in Aitape (3 January 1945 - 9 January 1946). WO McGowan was attached to 20 Medical Clearing Station (MCS) at Discharge on 7 February 1946.

Keith was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1916, sixth of eight children of Thomas McGowan (b1878 in Echuca, Victoria) and Caroline Louisa Phipps (b1883 at Littleriver, Victoria). Thomas was a Labourer in 1905 when he and Caroline married in Melbourne, where they settled and raised their family and Thomas worked as a Labourer and Pipe Moulder. In the mid 1920s Thomas and Caroline settled with their family  in Altona, where Thomas worked as a Furnaceman.

Keith worked as a Presser, Assistant Picture Theatre Operator and Labourer before enlisting in the RAAF. Hospitalised at Gippsland District Hospital in 1942, he met Elaine Alice Mary Rodda (b1922 in Trafalgar, Victoria) - Elaine was a Nurse at the Hospital - and they married in Sale in 1943. By 1946 they had separated and Elaine took a newspaper advertisement to announce that she was reverting to her maiden name of Rodda. Following his Discharge, Keith returned to Altona where he worked as a Packer, and in 1960 remarried to Patricia Muriel Forrester (nee Gostage;b1929 in Melbourne, Victoria) - Patricia was a Process Worker in Altona. Keith and Patricia settled in Altona where Keith worked as a Packer until his death in 1979. Patricia died in 1989.

Warrant Officer Keith McGowan (Service No:205860) served with the Cadets and ACMF (4th Division Signals; 1935/1937) before enlisting in the RAAF on 2 October 1939 at RAAF Training Depot Laverton as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Messman. By 1942 he was a Warrant Officer - mustered as Nursing/Medical Orderly, and served at RAAF Hospital Heidelberg, 10 Medical Clearing Station (MCS) and in Aitape (3 January 1945 - 9 January 1946). WO McGowan was attached to 20 Medical Clearing Station (MCS) at Discharge on 7 February 1946.

Keith was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1916, sixth of eight children of Thomas McGowan (b1878 in Echuca, Victoria) and Caroline Louisa Phipps (b1883 at Littleriver, Victoria). Thomas was a Labourer in 1905 when he and Caroline married in Melbourne, where they settled and raised their family and Thomas worked as a Labourer and Pipe Moulder. In the mid 1920s Thomas and Caroline settled with their family  in Altona, where Thomas worked as a Furnaceman.

Keith worked as a Presser, Assistant Picture Theatre Operator and Labourer before enlisting in the RAAF. Hospitalised at Gippsland District Hospital in 1942, he met Elaine Alice Mary Rodda (b1922 in Trafalgar, Victoria) - Elaine was a Nurse at the Hospital - and they married in Sale in 1943. By 1946 they had separated and Elaine took a newspaper advertisement to announce that she was reverting to her maiden name of Rodda. Following his Discharge, Keith returned to Altona where he worked as a Packer, and in 1960 remarried to Patricia Muriel Forrester (nee Gostage;b1929 in Melbourne, Victoria) - Patricia was a Process Worker in Altona. Keith and Patricia settled in Altona where Keith worked as a Packer until his death in 1979. Patricia died in 1989.