Gower, Philip Edwin

Date of birth:: May 10th, 1915 (Regina/Saskatchewan, Canada)
Date of death:: December 9th, 1956 (Slesse Mountain, British Columbia, Canada)
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Major Philip Gower died as a result of an airplane crash near Mount Slesse, British Columbia.

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Captain
Unit:: "B" Company, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, Canadian Army

Recommendation:
On 6 June 1944, D-Day, with under command B Coy, one platoon of C Coy and one section of pioneers Royal Winnipeg Rifles, plus one and one-half sections No.6 Field Coy RCE, Captain Gower assaulted and captured Red Beach of Mike Sector at Courseulles-sur-Mer. This beach was defended by four large casemates and fifteen other enemy positions, all entirely unaffected by the pre-assault bombardment.
Eye-witnesses of his command stat that throughout this action and in spite of having lost his helmet during the landing, Captain Gower stood upright on the beach, coolly directing the employment of his sub-units and by his personal example of bravery, skill and daring reduced the defences one by one until the beach defences were overcome. Had it not been for this officer’s courage and outstanding devotion to duty in the face of tremendous odds, the landing and advance inland of the remainder of the Battalion would have been seriously hampered.
It is considered that this officer’s bravery, determination and dauntless leadership contributed tremendously to the battalion’s successful advance to its Brigade objective.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 June, 1945.