The Airmen's Stories - F/O V G Daw

Victor George Daw, of Portsmouth, was born on 6th October 1918, the son of Victor Harold George Daw (1897-1980) and Nathalie Alice Jessie Daw (nee Blake 1895-1971). His father was a naval officer.

VG Daw joined the RAF on a short service commission in November 1938.

He married Joan Frances Brown in December 1939 in Portsmouth.

He was serving with 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill in 1940. On 17th May the squadron was posted to France, using Abbeville as a forward base.

On the 19th Daw destroyed a Me110, on the 22nd a Me109, on 8th June shared two He111s and a Me109 and on the 11th a Hs126. Awarded the DFC (gazetted 26th June 1940), Daw was decorated by the King at a ceremony at Biggin Hill on 27th June (below).

The King with F/Lt. M Crossley, in line are P/O VG Daw, P/O D Grice, P/O D Stones, Sgt. H Cartwright (not BoB) and Sgt. H Whitby.

In Hurricane P3677 Daw made a forced-landing near Dover on 25th July after combat with Me109s. Slightly injured, he was admitted to hospital.

In late 1940 he was serving with 145 Squadron and on 17th July 1941 he went to 242 Squadron at North Weald but was posted away on 8th August. Daw was awarded the AFC (gazetted 1st January 1945) and stayed on in the RAF postwar.

He was killed in a flying accident on 24th March 1953 as a Flight Lieutenant. He was in Meteor F Mk.8 WH358 of the Day Fighter Leaders School which is believed to have come down in the Wash during a 'rat and terrier' sortie. For this exercise a four-aircraft formation was sent out low level and then bounced by another aircraft giving practice for the four in breaks from low level.

The aircraft and his body were not found.