Wing Commander Francis George FROW (1930)

RAF
Born 1 July 1911 in Lambeth, London
Died whilst a Prisoner of War 1 December 1942, aged 31
Buried at Sydney War Cemetery, Australia.

Francis Frow was the son of George Holyoake Frow and Emily Ellen, née Shaughnessy. He married Jean Mary, née Boughton, of Folkestone, in January 1937.

He was the eldest of three brothers, and was educated at Dulwich College, where he was captain of the Shooting VIII, Under Officer in the Corps, captain of the Second XV, an editor of The Alleynian, and Captain of the School. He came up with an exhibition in Classics and took second class honours in both Mods. and Greats. He shot for Oxford vs Cambridge in the Chancellor's Plate for four years, being captain in 1934. He also shot for Oxford with the match rifle, in the Snap and Rapid and in the Revolver IV. In 1933 he finished 57th in the King's Hundred and in the following year represented Oxfordshire in the County championship as well as shooting for the Dulwich Veterans on four occasions.

He joined the RAF Reserve as a pilot officer in August 1932, and went to Cranwell on coming down from Oxford, being granted a permanent commission in September 1934 as a flying officer. On being posted to 25 Squadron in Fighter Command he flew Hawker Furies until 1936, and then for two years he was in Training Command, flying Blenheims. After doing a Chinese language course in London he sailed for Peking early in 1939 to continue his study of the language.

When war was declared he was recalled to Singapore for duty and later was posted to Ceylon, returning to Singapore in November 1941. When the Japanese overran the island he escaped to Java in February 1942, after which no news of him was received until September 1943, when it was reported that he had died of pneumonia & acute dysentery whilst a POW in Japan.