39457 Squadron Leader (Pilot) Hedley NEVILE FOWLER,
Royal Air Force
Awards: M C
Hedley Neville "Bill" Fowler son of Maxwell Thomas Bourne Fowler and of Florence Fowler (nee Ayers), of Mytten, Sussex. He was educated at Rugby School. His father was a Paymaster-Commander in the Royal Navy and he was the great grandson of Sir Henry Ayers, a Premier of South Australia for whom Ayers Rock was named. His family moved to Adelaide, South Australia in 1920, before returning to the UK in 1924 so Bill could attend Rugby School. He returned to Australia in 1933 before enlisting in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1936 and then transferring to the Royal Air Force. He was granted a short commission in the RAF as a Pilot Officer on 19 February 1937. He was trained at No. 6 Flying Training School at Netheravon before being posted to 3 Squadron on 22 May 1937. He then served as a Fighter Pilot with 615 Squadron, joining the squadron in October 1939 before converting to Hurricanes in May 1940. Bill and 615 Squadron arrived in France in November 1939 as part of the Air Component for the BEF. When the German invasion of the west commenced on 10 May 1940, the Squadron was still converting onto Hurricanes, although they were in action from the very start. Bill made his first kill on 12 May 1940 when he shot down a Me 109. He was credited with shooting down a Dornier Do 17 on 14 May 1940 as well, followed by another Me 109 the next day. During the same engagement he was also shot down. He bailed out and landed in the Ardennes Forest where he met some French soldiers retreating from the front line. However, the next day, 16 May, the group was surrounded and forced to surrender, subsequently Bill became a prisoner of war. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 3 September 1940 whilst in captivity. He escaped the POW camps and arrived in Switzerland on 13 September 1942. He left Switzerland on 25 January 1943, travelled across unoccupied France into Spain on 30 January 1943. He was arrested by the Spanish authorities later the same day. He was taken to a military prison at Figueras and held in filthy and cramped conditions until 22 February 1943. He was then taken to the British Consul in Barcelona from where he travelled to Gibraltar, arriving on 25 March 1943. Bill returned to the UK shortly afterwards. For his successful escape he was awarded the Military Cross which was gazetted on 14 December 1943. On reaching the UK Bill was promoted to Squadron Leader and posted to the Armament Test Squadron at Boscombe Down to act as a test pilot. He was killed during an air test flying a Hawker Typhoon, aged 27 years.