Researching Harold Gove

Published: 2:34 PM June 25, 2009

Updated: 10:41 PM November 6, 2020

I am researching Malmesbury s War Memorial, which includes Harold Gove.

I am researching Malmesbury's War Memorial, which includes Harold Gove. His story is:

Harold joined the Royal Air Force in 1937 and details of his career appeared in the Wiltshire Gazette of April 8, 1943 - 'Malmesbury man's death'. Sympathy is felt for Mr and Mrs W J Gove, baker and confectioner, of Oxford Street, Malmesbury, on the death of their only child, Corpl Harold Gove, as the result of injuries received while on service in the Middle East, at the age of 23.

Educated at Malmesbury Secondary School, where he was a popular scholar, he entered the service of the Bristol Tramways Company, where he remained for six months.

Sometime before the outbreak of hostilities, he joined the Royal Air Force, in which he had several years' service, having gone to Egypt about a year before the war started.

He served in Tobruk for some time, and during his service in Libya was injured by the blast from a bomb. He died in England. The funeral at the St John's-in-the-Wilderness, Exmouth, was conducted by the Rev W J E Harris, and was attended by the parents (M. and Mrs W J Gove), Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Robbins (uncle and aunt), Mrs A E Langdon and Miss Best (cousins), and others, with representatives of the deceased man's unit. Mrs Gove is a member of a well-known family at Withycombe.

Apparently Harold died of complications following pneumonia. In November, 1943, his parents retired and returned to Withycombe Raleigh - they are also buried near their son.