FOWLER, Hedley Neville
| Service Number: | 39457 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Squadron Leader |
| Last Unit: | Royal Air Force - unspecified units |
| Born: | London, England, 8 June 1916 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Mark's College, University of Adelaide, South Australia. |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Aircraft accident as Test Pilot in RAF, Tarrant Rushton, Dorset, United Kingdom, 26 March 1944, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire Grave 783 Personal Inscription HE FLEW TOWARDS THE SUN AND LEFT THE VIVID AIR SIGNED WITH HIS HONOUR |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Squadron Leader, 39457 | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 1944: | Involvement Royal Air Force , Squadron Leader, 39457, Royal Air Force - unspecified units | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Royal Air Force , Squadron Leader, 39457, Armament Test Squadron at Boscombe Down-test pilot |
Help us honour Hedley Neville Fowler's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by David Barlow
Son of Maxwell Thomas Bourne Fowler and of Florence Fowler (nee Ayers) of Mytten, Sussex
Squadron Leader Fowler 39457 RAF was shot down in May 1940 flying Hawker Hurricane P2622 during the Battle of France
After a few escape attempts he was imprisoned in Colditz - from which he escaped and was able to make his way back to England after travelling from Germany to Switzerland
He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for his efforts, 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 and was buried at Durrington cemetery.