Date: 28/29 June 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)
Unit: No. 419 R.C.A.F. Squadron (Moose)
Type: Halifax II
Serial: JD215
Code: VR-B
Base: R.A.F. Middleton St.George, County Durham.
Location: Waarle, Nr. Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Pilot: F/O. Harry Wilfred Fowler A.F.M. C/14078 R.C.A.F. Age 28. Killed
Flt/Eng: Sgt. John Edwin Dickson 1368890 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Nav: F/O. Warren Bretall Mayes J/14770 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. David Renwick Agnew J/21038 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed (1)
W/Op/AG: Fl/Lt. Almer Clement Raine J/5901 R.C.A.F. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. William George Otterholm R/113091 R.C.A.F. Age 28. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. William Andrew Hood R/104231 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
(1) Agnew Bay in Saskatchewan is named after F/O. Agnew
We would like to place an appeal on behalf of Raimondo Bogaars for further information and or photographs. Raimondo is hoping to place a memorial at the crash site in the future. Please contact us and your information will be forwarded.
REASON FOR LOSS:
This raid on Cologne was carried out by the largest force of Allied aircraft since the 1000 bomber raid one year earlier in May of 1942. In total 608 aircraft participated comprised of 267 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes, 85 Wellingtons, 75 Stirlings and 12 Mosquitos. Despite cloud over the target and only six of the seven Pathfinder Mosquitos reaching Cologne dropping skymarkers, the raid was determined as a success. 25 aircraft failed to return from this misssion.
Among those lost was Halifax JD215 flown by F/O. Harry Fowler. At 02:15 hours, June 29, the Halifax was intercepted and shot down by Luftwaffe night fighter ace Oberst Günther Radusch near Eindhoven. Obst. Radusch was a formidable opponent who claimed three other Halifaxes that night and finished the war with a total of 65 victories, 57 of them being four engined bombers.
F/O. Fowler was awarded the Air Force Medal in recognition of his services as an instructor at No.2 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mossbank, Saskatchewan.
F/O. Harry Wilfred Fowler A.F.M. (Courtesy St.Thomas Times Journal / Elgin Military Museum Collection via Colin Bamford)
His citation reads:
"Sergeant Fowler is employed as a Staff Pilot in Bombing Flight. This pilot has flown 600 hours in Battle aircraft. Since joining the Air Force he has flown 1,300 hours in the air. He has shown himself to be a hard working, reliable and conscientious pilot, and has displayed exceptional keenness and devotion to duty."
The award, effective January 1, 1943, was presented to F/O Fowler at Buckingham Palace on February 23, 1943.
Above left to right: F/O. Fowler A.F.M. Flt.Sgt. Otterholm and F/O. Mayes
Maj Günter Radusch - Stab II NJG3
Burial Details:
F/O. Harry Wilfred Fowler. Mierlo War Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Grave VII.B.1.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. H. P. Fowler, of St.Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Sgt. John Edwin Dickson. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Eindhoven, Netherlands. Grave Plot EE Joint Grave 74-75.
No further details.
F/O. Warren Bretall Mayes. Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Grave XV.F.2.
Son of Arthur H. and Vera H. Mayes, of Maywood, Illinois, U.S.A.
F/O. David Renwick Agnew. Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Grave XV.F.3.
Son of John Howard Agnew and Gertrude Lucy Agnew, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Fl/Lt. Almer Clement Raine. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Eindhoven, Netherlands. Grave Plot EE Joint Grave 74-75.
Son of Ralph T. and Edith E. Raine, of Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. William George Otterholm. Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Grave XVI.B.15.
Son of C. and Frances A. Otterholm, of Dixonville, Alberta, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. William Andrew Hood. Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Eindhoven, Netherlands. Grave Plot EE Grave 36.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Wilson Hood, Bras d’Or, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Researched by Colin Bamford volunteer for A.R. Society and dedicated to relatives of the crew.
Acknowledgements: With thanks to The Elgin Military Museum, St. Thomas, Ontario for their assistance in the preparation of this article.
