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FSGT Allan William Dowding 425139


Squadron/s	453 SQN
Rank On Discharge/Death	Flight Sergeant (FSGT)
Mustering / Specialisation	Pilot
Date of Birth	19 Aug 1921
Contributing Author/s	Compiled by Vince Conant 2016 The Spitfire Association

Date of birth - 19 Aug 1921
Place of birth - GOONDIWINDI QLD
Place of enlistment - BRISBANE
Next of Kin - DOWDING, DONALD

NORMANDY, FRANCE. C. 1944-07. PILOT 425139 FLIGHT SERGEANT DOWDING, GOONDIWINDI, QLD, WITH NO. 453 (SPITFIRE) SQUADRON RAAF, PAINTED IN BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES, INVASION MARKINGS, PREPARES TO TAKE OFF FROM BEACH-HEAD AIRSTRIP AT AN ADVANCED LANDING GROUND, B.11, IN NORMANDY.

STATION FORD. Informal outdoor portrait of pilots from No. 453 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF using a spare belly tank as a resting place outside their tent at Beach-Head Airstrip, an advance landing ground, B.11, from where they operated over the Normandy battlefield. Identified from left to right: 425139 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Allan William Dowding from Goondiwindi, Queensland; 412513 Warrant Officer (WO) Allan Harold John Harris from Yenda, NSW (killed on flying operations over France on 27 July 1944); 418083 Flt Sgt Ralph Alan Dutneall from Hawthorn East, Victoria (killed on flying operations over France on 27 July 1944); and 409367 WO Hector Deeble Aldred from Bentleigh, Victoria (later Flying Officer).

Normandy, France. C. 1944-06. Spitfire aircraft of No. 453 Squadron RAAF, painted in black and white stripes, invasion markings, at dispersal at the edge of a barley field airstrip, ALG B.11, ready for operations over the Normandy battlefield

Allan spent time as a P.O.W

Learn more about the squadron/s in which Allan served.

No. 453 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force was formed at Bankstown in New South Wales on 23 May 1941. Formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, the squadron w...

(Read more about 453 SQN)

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