John Michael Darlow (1922-1945)

Second World War Roll of Honour

John Michael Darlow was born at Bedford in 1922, the youngest son of Henry Darlow, Bedford Town Clerk, and Ida Elizabeth (née Dawson) Darlow of Corr House, Glebe Road, Bedford. He was educated at Bedford School, where he was a member of the Debating Society, and matriculated at Downing College on a Classical Scholarship in January 1941, following his father, brother and cousin to the College. He was a member of the College Boat Club and rowed in the 2^nd Boat in his first two terms before rowing at Bow in the 1^st Boat in Michaelmas 1941. That term he was also Secretary of the Squash Racquets Club and a member of the Bridge team. He also served as Secretary to the Debating Society and at least seventeen of his caricatures of fellow students were printed in issues of the College magazine, “The Griffin”. In February 1942, he returned to live at home while attending a Japanese course in Bedford, established by the War Office. This course was the first of many run by Captain Oswald Tuck for mainly Classical students, who were thought best-suited for the complexities of learning Japanese during the war. John was attached to the Air Section at Bletchley and later sent to attend a Japanese phonetics course at the London School of Oriental Studies. Later in the war, he was sent to India to work on Air-Ground intercepts.

John was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 3 January 1944 and was promoted to Flying Officer on 3 July 1944. At the end of the war, by which time he had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant, John was in India and granted leave when he boarded Dakota Mk III FL603 of 353 Squadron to return home. The aircraft took off from Santa Cruz airfield, Bombay at 7.25am on 17 August 1945 for what was to have been a routine transport flight for its crew. When the aircraft was about 70 miles to the north of Santa Cruz airfield, the port wing became detached from the airframe and the port engine fell away. The aircraft dived into the ground at the village of Raitali, 85 miles to the north of Bombay, at 8am, where it burst into flames on impact, killing the three crew members and their six passengers.

Flight Lieutenant Darlow was killed on active service on 17 August 1945, aged 23. He is buried at Kirkee War Cemetery and also commemorated on the war memorial at Bedford School.

Sources

Peter Kornicki, Captain Oswald Tuck and the Bedford Japanese School 1942-1945 (2019)

Report of Captain Oswald Tuck on the Bedford Japanese School, Churchill Archives Centre, TUCK/5/5

Image

Downing College 2^nd March Eights (DCPH/2/3/2/39, copyright Lafayette Photography Ltd). Darlow rowed at 5 in this boat, although it is not known which of those pictured he is, sadly.