Roderick George Gow was born on the 1 May 1920 in Sheffield, Yorkshire. He was educated at Winchester where he played cricket for the school in the 1938 season and Matriculated in the same year. He spent one year at Christ Church, University of Oxford.

He was commissioned from the 121^st Officer Cadet Training Unit into the Royal Regiment of Artillery (emergency commission) as a Second Lieutenant on the 24 February 1940.

He was promoted to War Substantive Lieutenant on the 24 August 1941, and to Temporary Captain on the 12 April 1943.

He volunteered for Airborne Forces and was posted to No.1 Forward Observer Unit, Royal Artillery (Airborne) on the 27 June 1944. This Unit was then forming up at Parkhouse Camp, Shipton Bellinger, Tidworth in Hampshire. However, in early July he moved with the Unit to Harlaxton Hall, near Grantham in Lincolnshire to be nearer to the 1^st Airborne Division, which it would be attached to.

He and his team of two men (both from the Royal Artillery), an Observation Post Assistant (OP Ack) and a Signaller, were part of No 1 Section attached to the 1^st Airlanding Brigade. Capt. Gow’s Team were assigned to support the 2^nd Bn, the South Staffordshire Regiment (Airborne).

He took part in Operation ‘Market-Garden’, but the 2^nd Bn, the South Staffs was split over two Lifts. The 1^st Lift, with 4 x Horsa gliders for Battalion Headquarters, flew from RAF Manston on Sunday, 17 September 1944. The 2^nd Lift, with 2 x Horsa gliders for Battalion Headquarters, flew from RAF Broadwell on Monday, 18 September 1944, and it is not known which Lift Capt. Gow and his Team were on. However, both Lifts landed at LZ. ‘S’ near Wolfheze in Holland.

By late on the 18 September the 2^nd Bn, The South staffs had advanced into Arnhem, after a change in their plans, and in the early hours of Tuesday, 19 September 1944, they launched an attack along the Utrechtseweg, near the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital towards the Municipal Museum. It is very likely that this is the area where Capt. Gow was killed, as he was first buried in the Moscowa General Cemetery, on the northern outskirts of Arnhem.

The son of James Cuthbert Gow and Katherine Gow, and the brother of General Sir Michael Gow, GCB, he now lies at rest in the Arnhem/Oosterbeek War Cemetery, 15. C. 7.

Written and researched with profile image sourced from Airborne Tulip Memorials FaceBook page by Bob Hilton.