Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 18, 2019 20:19:11 GMT 12
This comes from the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 19 JULY 1943
CAPTIVE IN TUNIS
NEW ZEALAND AIRMAN
TIMELY ARRIVAL OF BRITISH
(Special Correspondent) (Recd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 17
"You must not get well too quickly," whispered a wounded Frenchman to Flying-Officer J. A. C. Fowler, of Feilding. They were both in a ward for seriously wounded men in a German hospital in Tunis. Flying-Officer Fowler, who had wounds in his head and both knees, nodded. He had noticed that the wounded who recovered were taken out of the ward and sent to Italy and, with the Frenchman, he shared the conviction that the British would soon take Tunis. So he feigned delirium and would mutter instructions as though flying —and the Germans left him in the ward.
Seventeen days later British troops arrived and Flying-Officer Fowler hitchhiked 90 miles hack to his squadron. The members of the squadron were amazed to see him. They thought he was dead.
Fight Over the Sea
Flying-Officer Fowler was last with the squadron when escorting Mitchells bombing Bizerta. They carried on out to sea, seeking shipping, when they encountered eight Junkers 52's with two fighter escorts. There were only six Spitfires, but they immediately attacked. Then 25 Messerschmitt 109's and Macchis arrived through a mist. In the subsequent dogfight Flying-Officer Fowler chased a Messerschmitt to sea level and the German went into the sea from 40 feet.
Flying-Officer Fowler flew on over the coast and the next thing he remembered was looking at an Arab who was wearing his boots while he was barefooted. Apparently a Macchi fired at him and hit the armour plating, causing it to strike his head, and he became unconscious and crashed.
Wounds Dressed by Germans
The Germans operated on him immediately on the beach, stitching his head and knees. In a semi-conscious state he was taken to Ferryville and then to the hospital in Tunis, where there were 80 Allied wounded, including eight New Zealanders.
"At night we could hear the Royal Air Force bombing the port, which is about five miles away," said FlyingOfficer Fowler. "It was rather terrifying. Two days before the British arrived in Tunis the Germans began blowing up anti-aircraft guns and ammunition dumps. The explosions shattered the hospital windows and we thought they were bombs exploding until an orderly told us what was going on."
A British doctor who came into the hospital told Flying-Officer Fowler that it would be five days before he could be moved, but he was determined to return to his squadron.
On his return he heard that others had gone out to search for him. They saw five oil patches in the sea. They had shot down four Germans and thought Flying-Officer Fowler made the fifth oil patch.
Attacks on Road Transport
In the same squadron was Flying-Officer D. Hogan, of Auckland. He and Flying-Officer Fowler are now both on leave in London. Flying-Officer Hogan at one period of the North African fighting flew 60 operational hours in 17 days. He shot down at least two Macchis. He and Flying-Officer Fowler attacked German convoys after the capture of Enfidaville, when vehicles were massed on the roads bumper to bumper.
"Our wing commander, who fought in the Battle of France, always made the comment, 'Remember the French refugees,' " said Flying-Officer Fowler. "It certainly was impossible to miss those Germans."
Flight-Sergeant I. Herbert, of Morrinsville. distinguished himself after being shot, down over Cape Bon. He held up 12 Germans with a revolver, forced them into a lorry and returned to his base. He had hoped he could keep the captured lorry for the squadron, but was annoyed when he found that it was claimed by the Army, the Germans having captured it at Kasserine.
CAPTIVE IN TUNIS
NEW ZEALAND AIRMAN
TIMELY ARRIVAL OF BRITISH
(Special Correspondent) (Recd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 17
"You must not get well too quickly," whispered a wounded Frenchman to Flying-Officer J. A. C. Fowler, of Feilding. They were both in a ward for seriously wounded men in a German hospital in Tunis. Flying-Officer Fowler, who had wounds in his head and both knees, nodded. He had noticed that the wounded who recovered were taken out of the ward and sent to Italy and, with the Frenchman, he shared the conviction that the British would soon take Tunis. So he feigned delirium and would mutter instructions as though flying —and the Germans left him in the ward.
Seventeen days later British troops arrived and Flying-Officer Fowler hitchhiked 90 miles hack to his squadron. The members of the squadron were amazed to see him. They thought he was dead.
Fight Over the Sea
Flying-Officer Fowler was last with the squadron when escorting Mitchells bombing Bizerta. They carried on out to sea, seeking shipping, when they encountered eight Junkers 52's with two fighter escorts. There were only six Spitfires, but they immediately attacked. Then 25 Messerschmitt 109's and Macchis arrived through a mist. In the subsequent dogfight Flying-Officer Fowler chased a Messerschmitt to sea level and the German went into the sea from 40 feet.
Flying-Officer Fowler flew on over the coast and the next thing he remembered was looking at an Arab who was wearing his boots while he was barefooted. Apparently a Macchi fired at him and hit the armour plating, causing it to strike his head, and he became unconscious and crashed.
Wounds Dressed by Germans
The Germans operated on him immediately on the beach, stitching his head and knees. In a semi-conscious state he was taken to Ferryville and then to the hospital in Tunis, where there were 80 Allied wounded, including eight New Zealanders.
"At night we could hear the Royal Air Force bombing the port, which is about five miles away," said FlyingOfficer Fowler. "It was rather terrifying. Two days before the British arrived in Tunis the Germans began blowing up anti-aircraft guns and ammunition dumps. The explosions shattered the hospital windows and we thought they were bombs exploding until an orderly told us what was going on."
A British doctor who came into the hospital told Flying-Officer Fowler that it would be five days before he could be moved, but he was determined to return to his squadron.
On his return he heard that others had gone out to search for him. They saw five oil patches in the sea. They had shot down four Germans and thought Flying-Officer Fowler made the fifth oil patch.
Attacks on Road Transport
In the same squadron was Flying-Officer D. Hogan, of Auckland. He and Flying-Officer Fowler are now both on leave in London. Flying-Officer Hogan at one period of the North African fighting flew 60 operational hours in 17 days. He shot down at least two Macchis. He and Flying-Officer Fowler attacked German convoys after the capture of Enfidaville, when vehicles were massed on the roads bumper to bumper.
"Our wing commander, who fought in the Battle of France, always made the comment, 'Remember the French refugees,' " said Flying-Officer Fowler. "It certainly was impossible to miss those Germans."
Flight-Sergeant I. Herbert, of Morrinsville. distinguished himself after being shot, down over Cape Bon. He held up 12 Germans with a revolver, forced them into a lorry and returned to his base. He had hoped he could keep the captured lorry for the squadron, but was annoyed when he found that it was claimed by the Army, the Germans having captured it at Kasserine.
