Date:	Wednesday 15 May 1940
Time:	11:00 LT
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk 1
Owner/operator:	615 (County of Surrey) Sqn RAF
Registration:	P2622
MSN:	KW-C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Chooz, near Dinant, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Vitry-en-Artois, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I P2622 (KW-C) of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat air patrol. Bailed bailed out and survived, but captured and taken as a PoW. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (file AIR 81/409): "Flying Officer H N Fowler: prisoner of war; Hurricane P2622 crashed near Dinant, France, 15 May 1940".

According to his biography on wikipeadia: "Hedley Fowler made his first 'kill' on 12 May 1940 when he shot down a Bf 109. This was also the Squadron's first kill. He was credited with shooting down a Dornier Do 17 on 14 May 1940; This actually turned out to be a Ju-88A (7A+BH of 1(F)/121), which failed to return from a reconnaissance of Brussels-Courtrai-Ghent-Antwerp; Oblt Heinz Spillmann and his crew were killed.

The third 'kill' in three consecutive days was a Bf 109 the next day. During the same engagement he was also shot down, as one of three Hurricanes (P2554 and P2622 of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, and P2870 of 607 (County of Durham) Squadron) that were were claimed by III/JG 53 and were credited to Hauptmann Werner Mölders, Oberleutnant Heinz Wittenberg and Leutnant Georg Claus respectively.

He bailed out and landed in the Ardennes Forest near Chooz 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. As a result, Fowler became a prisoner of war. He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 3 September 1940 whilst in captivity."

Crew of Hurricane P2622:
Flying Officer Hedley Neville "Bill" Fowler (Pilot) RAF 39457 - bailed out, captured, taken as PoW

Hedley Fowler was a frequent escapee from various PoW camps; so much so that he eventually ended up in the famous/notorious Colditz Castle PoW camp. This PoW camp was supposed to be escape-proof, but that did not deter Hedley Folwer. He escaped from Colditz Castle also, on 9 September 1942, making a "home run" (as successful return to the UK) via Switzerland, Vichy France, Spain and Gibraltar, arriving on 25 March 1943

On reaching the UK, Fowler 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 on 26 March 1944, and was buried at Durrington cemetery.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 15)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/409: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502080
3. 'RAF Fighter Command Losses 1939-1941' by Norman Franks page 23
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedley_Fowler
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/615_squadron.html#1505
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=308
7. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1940-1949_28.html
8. https://615squadron.aviationaoi.com/15-may-1940/
9. https://www.medalsofengland.com/medals.php?id=79&medalid=1936
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chooz,_Ardennes

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Jul-2019 22:56	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-Jul-2019 23:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Departure airport]
19-Jul-2019 06:58	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]