Name: Harry Gaston Rank: Leading Airman Service Number: FX96031 Service: 749 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Owl, Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy Date of Birth: October 7, 1924 Place of Birth: Rochester, Kent, England Address at Enlistment: Rochester, Kent, England Date of Death: April 18, 1944 Age: 20 Memorial: Lee-On-Solent Memorial, Hampshire Reference: Bay 5, Panel 2 Harry was the son of Ernest William Gaston (1884-1969) and Jessie Ellen (Roberts) Gaston (1889-1960). His father was born in Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England, and his mother was born in Gravesend in Kent. In 1939, the family was living in Rochester, Kent, and Harry’s father was employed as a ship’s fitter at the Royal Navy Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. Harry joined the temporary wartime staff of Westminster Bank in March 1941, and from April was based at the bank's Gillingham, Kent branch until his enlistment with the Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy. Harry Gaston was selected for overseas training at No 1 Naval Air Gunner School, part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, at RCAF Station Yarmouth (East Camp) in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He completed nine months of TAG training in Yarmouth with Course 46A (February 1943). After his return to England, he was assigned to 747 Squadron at the naval air station HMS Owl in Fearn, northern Scotland. On April 18, 1944, Leading Airman Harry Gaston was killed when his Barracuda broke away from a formation and crashed at sea in the Moray Firth during a night training exercise. He was 19 years old. Also lost were Sub-Lieutenant (A) Lawrence Edward Beeston, RNVR, of Hounslow, Middlesex, England, and Sub- Lieutenant (A) Wilfred Eric Williams, RNVR. Harry Gaston is commemorated in England on the Lee-On-Solent Memorial in Portsmouth, and on a bank war memorial at the NatWest Gillingham Kent branch.