A Colditz Escaper

Squadron Leader Hedley Neville (Bill) Fowler

A feature on the TV program Antiques road show told the story of how in 1980 a cleaner at the F & C O spotted a small collection of photographs of Sqn Ldr Fowler which were being thrown out, she felt this was wrong so consulted someone senior who said they had no interest in them and told her to take them home. Her family has had them since then but felt they should be passed if possible to the officer's family. Following the airing of the program relatives came forth and duly took pocession of the items as part of their family history.

This airman is recorded in the Test Pilot Memorial Book 

(on display at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum)

But who was Sqn Ld Fowler and what did he achieve?

Early Years:

Fowler was born in London on 8 June 1916.  His father was a Paymaster-Commander in the Royal Navy and he was great-grandson of Sir Henry Ayers, a Premier of South Australia for whom Ayers Rock was named. Fowler's family moved to Adelaide in South Australia in 1920, before returning to the UK in 1924 for his education at Malvern boarding school in preparation to attend Rugby School,while there he won Junior and Senior cups for miniature rifle shooting. Moving to Rugby School in 1930 he was selected as cadet U-016 to shoot at Bisley and also in the school shooting eight, competing for the Ashburton Shield in both 1932 and 1933.

In 1933 he returned to Adelaide, South Australia and attended the University of Adelaide where he joined the University Rifles and won two shooting cups.  In 1936 he enroled in the RAAF and moved to Point Cook as an Air Cadet, he graduated 4th as Pilot Officer and won Mannock Cup for best flyer on the course. In Jan1937 he returned to England as one of twelve Pilot Officers seconded to RAF.

RAF Service:

Fowler was granted a short-service commission in the RAF as a pilot officer on 19 February 1937. He was trained at No 6 Flying Training School Netheravon before being posted to      3 Sqn on 22 May 1937. He then served as a fighter pilot with the Squadron flying the Gloster Gladiator. Promoted to Flying Officer in 1938, His next posting was to 615 Sqn in October 1939 converting to Hawker Hurricanes in May 1940.

615 Sqn Gloucester Gladiator 1939

Fowler and 615 Sqn arrived in France in November 1939 as part of the Air Component of the BEF. When the German invasion commenced on 10 May 1940, the Squadron was still converting onto Hurricanes, although they were in action from the very start. Fowler made his first 'kill' on 12 May 1940 when he shot down a ME109. This was also the Squadron's first kill. He was credited with shooting down a Dornier DO17 on 14 May 1940 as well, followed by another Me 109 the next day. During the same engagement he was shot down while escorting bombers over Dinant. 

The following is Fowlers description of events;

"At approximately 11.45 hours I was shot down by Messerschmitt fighters about five miles north of Fumay, on the west bank of the River Meuse. My aircraft was on fire so I baled out and landed in a wood. I left my parachute in the middle of a bush and cut one of the panels out to bind round my head, which was bleeding. I had dropped my helmet on the way down and I was not wearing flying kit. My clothes were standard dress uniform, a khaki 'sidcot suit', and black flying boots. After landing I destroyed my pay book and personal letters, but kept my identity disc and a B.E.F. identity card. I threw away my pistol, which was of German make. I then started to walk west through thick woods. My aircraft had fallen in the forest on the east bank of the River Meuse. I walked for about five hours. Going was very rough and I took off my Sidcot suit and carried it. About 17.00 hours I was resting by a tree when a French soldier jumped out of a bush and pointed a rifle at me. I speak a little French and he asked me whether I was a German. I showed him my B.E.F. identity card and convinced him that I was a British pilot. This Frenchman was one of six French sappers trying to rejoin their unit. With them I walked through woods to Focroi. Here I left them and joined the remnants of a company of French infantry, commanded by a Sub. Lieutenant. They were much disorganised, and were retreating west. Their M.O. attended to the cut on my head. The next day, 16 May, we passed through Rumigny. About 16.30 hrs we were nearing Brunehamel when we were fired upon by a M.G. We got off the road and split up into two sections. I went with the Sub-Lieutenant. We moved into an isolated house where we stayed for about an hour. We were fired upon and returned the fire till our ammunition ran short. Two German tanks then appeared and we were surrounded. We therefore surrendered. 21May1940 I became a POW."

Captivity:

Fowler was sent to Dulag Luft transit camp at Oberursel before being transferred to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth, arriving there on 5 July 1940.

He was promoted to Flight lieutenant on 3 September 1940 whilst in captivity.

By November 1941, Fowler was acting as a distributor of Red Cross parcels. During his time in captivity Fowler had been making a bogus German uniform out of various bits of material and a civilian suit, smuggling them into the parcel office which was situated outside the main prisoner's compound. On 5 November 1941, he dressed in his bogus German uniform from the parcel office and climbed over the lightly guarded perimeter fence. Outside the camp he changed into his civilian suit. He managed to reach Sassnitz and attempted to stow away on a Swedish ship; but whilst at the docks he was arrested by a German policeman. He was returned to Stalag Luft 1 and sentenced to 14 days solitary confinement, before being transferred to the 'escape proof' camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, arriving on 1 December 1941.

During his time at Colditz, Fowler took part in 'Goon Baiting', which involved harassing and annoying the German guards as much as possible, under the able direction of Wing Cdr Douglas Bader. For this, Fowler, as many others,  spent time in solitary confinement. 

An example of baiting was how Fowler turned to his advantage an infestation of wasps in a giant creeper which grew up one side of the Castle; He caught a wasp, tied a thin thread to its waist and attached it to a rolled-up cigarette paper. His idea was that, since leaflets were being dropped by the R.A.F. all over Germany, it was up to us to play our part. Hundreds of wasps were caught and to each was attached a cigarette paper with the message Deutschland Kaput. The French, never to be outdone, caught a large number of wasps, tied a little square of paper to each, put them in matchboxes and released them together on parade. It was like a reversed snowstorm with the wasps flying upwards in furious mood. Pandemonium raged. 

Escape:

During August 1942 an escape plan was prepared for a party of officers moving through a short tunnel which started in the German Stabfeldwebel's office located near the prisoner's sick quarters. The starting location was chosen because it was a place unlikely to be thoroughly searched. Fowler was involved with this from the outset. The prisoners picked the office's lock and over a few nights built a tunnel which led from under the Stabsfeldwebel's desk to a clothing store with access to the outside. The tunnel was partly constructed by Captain Pat Reid.

From the clothing store the prisoners were to leave the castle disguised as a work party removing clothes from the store, four to be dressed as Polish orderlies, one disguised as a German officer, the other as a German NCO. The six officers were Fowler, Captain Lulu Lawton (British army), Lieutenant Geoff Wardle (RN) and three Dutch officers, Lt Beitz, Lt Donkers and Lt Damiaen Joan Van Doornick.

Reconstruction following escape

The escape took place on 9 September 1942. All went well as the six escapers and two assistants entered the office during the previous evening and opened up the tunnel. However, around midnight there was an alarm and the Germans searched the castle. Fortunately for the prisoners, the office door had been relocked and this satisfied the searchers that nobody had entered the office. After entering the clothing store the tunnel was sealed to allow later use (it was discovered the following day during the search for the missing officers). At 0730 the escape party left the store, timed to be shortly after the change of the German sentries; the idea being that the new sentries would be unaware of who had already entered the store. The party, led by van Doorninck (dressed as the German NCO), proceeded past several sentries and using a forged pass, left the castle unaccosted.

Outside the camp the party changed into civilian clothes and separated, Fowler travelling with van Doornick. They travelled on foot to Penig (about 31 km) and from there by train to Plauen via Zwickau. They caught the train to Stuttgart where they stayed overnight in a small hotel. The next day they caught a train to Tuttlingen and walked to the Swiss border. En route they were stopped by an SS policeman, but their forged papers were sufficient to pass inspection. They crossed into Switzerland at 0130 on 13 September 1942, and were taken to the British Legation at Bern. 

The other four escapers were recaptured close to Colditz.

Damiaen Joan van Doorninck

Fowler left Switzerland on 25 January 1943 and with Major Ronald B Littedale, who had escaped from Colditz with Pat Reid, travelled across unoccupied France into Spain on 30 January 1943. They were arrested by the Spanish authorities later the same day. They were taken to a military prison at Figueras and held in filthy and cramped conditions until 22 February 1943. They were then taken to the British Consul in Barcelona from where they travelled to Gibralter, arriving on 25 March 1943. Fowler returned to the UK shortly afterwards.

Back Home:

Arriving home at RAF Hendon in July 43 he was prmoted to the rank of Squadron Leader and posted to RAF Radnall on Film Unit duties. At this time he also toured RAF stations giving talks about his experiences as both a fugitive and POW but he was eager to get back in the air and in January 1944 was posted to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at RAF Boscombe Down as a Test Pilot for the Typhoon fighter-bomber. It was while so employed at Crickel Down Bombing Range, on 26 March 1944, while carrying out dive-bombing trials designed to find a weapon against German tanks for the forthcoming Allied invasion of Europe, that he was killed. His death however was not in vain as the notes found on the pad strapped to his knee helped to resolve some of the initial problems with this aircraft type. A letter from the Ministry of Defence states that on 26 March 1944 Squadron Leader H N Fowler was flying Typhoon JR307 on 'bombing duties'. The Squadron Leader was diving the aircraft on to the bombing range and on pulling out of the dive the aircraft broke up in mid-air. The aircraft came down 3 miles north of Crickel Down Bombing Range, near Tarrant Rushton Airfield at approximately 1500 hours. Squadron Leader Bill Fowler was only 27 years of age at the time of his death, and is buried in Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire close to the RAF Station. The burial took place with Full Service honours, three volleys by the firing party followed by the Last Post. After that, the pall bearers and the officers of his flight passed in single file, standing for a few seconds at the salute at the head of the grave. One of those in attendance was Sqn Ldr Jim Payne who had got his wings at Point Cook with Bill. Bill Fowler's name is recorded on the WWII Wall of Remembrance in the Rugby School Memorial Chapel.

Hawker Typhoon

For his successful escape, Fowler was awarded the Military Cross.

Recommendation by Air Vice Marshall, Air Officer Commanding, No 9 Group RAF: 'This officer showed much skill and courage in his efforts to escape. Even though recaptured after the first attempt, this did not deter him from making a second, and this time a successful effort. This escape was from a camp specially reserved for officers who have either attempted to escape, or have otherwise given trouble to the Germans. The initiative and daring he displayed merits recognition and I strongly approve the War Office suggestion that he be awarded the M.C.