John Gow SHIERLAW

SHIERLAW, John Gow

    Service Number: 416107
    Enlisted: 29 March 1941
    Last Rank: Warrant Officer
    Last Unit: No. 458 Squadron (RAAF)
    Born: North Adelaide, South Australia , 17 August 1921
    Home Town: Medindie, Walkerville, South Australia
    Schooling: Pulteney Grammar (1930-36) St Peter's College, South Australia (1937-39)
    Occupation: Law Student
    Died: Machine gunned by Allied Aircraft while on POW march, Stalag VI Heydekrug Memelland (now Lithuania), Germany, 19 April 1945, aged 23 years
    Cemetery: Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery
    Plot 6. Row B. Grave 22. Initially Buried at Gresse, near Luneberg, Germany Local Roll of Honour- Walkerville South Australia ,
    Memorials: Adelaide Pulteney Grammar School WW2 Honour Roll, Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Medindie Wilderness School Roll of Honour WW2
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    World War 2 Service

    29 Mar 1941: Involvement Warrant Officer, 416107
    29 Mar 1941: Enlisted Adelaide, SA
    29 Mar 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 416107, No. 1 Initial Training School Somers
    29 Mar 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer, 416107
    27 Jun 1941: Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, 416107, Emb. Sydney for Durban
    27 Feb 1942: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant
    27 Aug 1942: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant
    27 Dec 1942: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 416107, No. 458 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
    24 Mar 1943: Imprisoned Air War NW Europe 1939-45, Reported killed in Allied aircraft strafing attack on 7th April 1945 near Stalag Luft V1
    27 Aug 1943: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer, No. 458 Squadron (RAAF)
    Date unknown: Involvement
    Date unknown: Involvement Warrant Officer Class 1, No. 458 Squadron (RAAF)

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    Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

    Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Shielaw, Medindie, have been advised that their twin son, Warrant Officer John Gow Shierlaw was kille on April 19 by cannon-fire from Allied aircraft during a strafing attack on a marching column of prisoners of war three days after their release from a prison camp near Bremen.  He was buried at Gresse, near Luneberg, in Germany.

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