Flying Officer, RAF
Born: September 17th 1916
Died: March 31st 1944
Age at Death: 27
Killed as a prisoner of war in Germany, trying to escape, March 31st 1944
John was born in Argentina on 17 September 1916 to Herbert Stower and his wife Euphemia (née Moffat), known as Effie, two Britons who had emigrated to the country. He flew bombers during the war, and was shot down while serving with 140 Squadron and taken prisoner. In 1943 he escaped the Stalag Luft III prison camp in what was then Germany, but is now part of Poland, but was recaptured after a few days.
In 1944 Stower took part in the famous Great Escape of 73 Allied prisoners from the camp, immortalised in the Hollywood film of the same name. Near the end of the film a large group of them are led into a field, where they are shot. Stower was one of those men, although in real life the prisoners were executed either singly or in pairs.
He is buried in the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, near the camp, and commemorated at a local memorial to the executed men. Margaret Dobson, John’s aunt, told Walter Hett, the College Head Master, in a letter:
It has been a great shock to us all to think that these fine fellows who have done so much for us should be shot in cold blood by the Germans.