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, Hackney St Peter's College WW2 Honour Roll, Medindie Wilderness School Roll of Honour WW2
Show Relationships

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)

Help us honour John Gow Shierlaw's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

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.