Frederick James Fowles enlisted on 6 June 1939 in the Rifle Brigade T/A as a cadet. He was appointed an emergency commission in The Queen's Royal Regiment in February 1940 when he embarked to India with the 1st Battalion. 

He volunteered for parachute training and joined the C Company, 151 Battalion in November 1941. He left the 151 Battalion in Bombay December 1942 but was seriously ill in South Africa. On recovery and return to Britain in July 1943 be became Temporary Captain and became a parachute instructor.

In December 1943 he was given a War Office posting to No.1 Airborne Forces HQ in London and in February 1944 was posted to 1st Special Air Service where he underwent intensive training.

He served with the A Squadron, 1 SAS, and took part in Operation Titanic for which he was awarded the Military Cross. Together with Lieutenant Norman Poole, who would each be accompanied by two troopers, Hurst and Merryweather and Dawson and Saunders respectively. This was the first operation for the 1st SAS on D-Day, and was intended as a diversion tactic to draw the German forces way from the British. They were dropped alongside dummy parachutists, known as 'Ruperts', armed with small bombs and detonators to simulate small-arms fire.

Whilst living in Northern Ireland he joined the Royal Ulster Rifles (T.A.) in February 1951, he was promoted to Major and retired as Company Commander of 6th Battalion in February 1960.

In  civilian life, Major Fowles worked in the meat trade and worked abroad and around Britain. He retired as a Managing Director of a company in Liverpool. He died in 1982 aged 62 (at the time he was Commodore of his local sailing club). Major Fowles was married and had a daughter and a son.

Created with information kindly supplied by Patricia Parkin (daughter) and 'Linday's Patatroopers' by John O'Reilly.

Frederick Fowle's military citations read:

Public Record WO 3773/100 Army 687

Frederick. James .Fowles  A A C (Army Air Corps)

1 SPECIAL AIR SERVICE Battalion

Army Personal No. 117654 – Rank -  W/s (War Substantive) Lieut.

Citation – Received 5/11/45 Passed 9/11/45

On the night 5/6 June 1944, Lt. FOWLES with another officer and 4 men landed by parachute near LE MESNIL – VIGOT just SOUTH of the neck of the CHERBOURG peninsula as part of an operation involving 200 dummy parachutists intended to distract the enemy from the 82nd American Airborne Div., which was “dropping” to the NORTH. German Troops in the area were a Panzer Grenadier Div., a S.S. Div and a mixed Brigade of Mongolian and Ukrainian Troops. Although the work of the party was prejudiced by a mis-timing of their “drop”, the success of the operation as a whole was not inconsiderable, as it drew away approx. one enemy Div from the American area. Lt. Fowles’ party had been told that they could expect to be over-run by American Troops in approx. 9 days.

The party spent 6 weeks waiting to be relieved and on the 27th July 44, they were captured. During this period they did considerable damage by sabotage work to signal & electrical installations and collected valuable information which they passed to Intelligence Channels. Their situation was highly unenviable. During the 3rd week a German Anti-Parachute Coy was specifically detached to hunt them and on occasions came very close indeed, as illustrated by the fact that once Lt. Fowles’ party and the Germans spent the night at opposite ends of the same field with the Germans passing at 20 yards. The mobility of the party was greatly hampered by their having 6 escaped American P.O.W’s. of whom one was badly wounded and had to be carried. The party was seldom at any time more than 450 yards from Germans; in fact, they found greater safety from pursuit in keeping with 200 yds of different enemy HQs.

Being within enemy lines they were subjected to constant shell-fire from our own guns. Their endurance was severely taxed by lack of food. As from the 3rd week, their French contacts could only bring food once or twice a week and at that in very limited quantities. They could not cook as it was impossible to light a fire. For the last two weeks they lived chiefly on raw vegetables. Throughout a period of acute nervous and physical strain, Lt. Fowles showed outstanding resourcefulness and audacity. He took part in an ambush which resulted in the destruction of 3 enemy lorries and casualties to the troops therein. Under cover of darkness he organized and conducted sabotage and foraging parties, frequently encountering the enemy. On numerous occasions he entered a farmhouse for food, part of which was occupied by the enemy.

The effect of his work & example towards sustaining the morale of his party cannot be over-estimated. On 17 Jul 44, the party had worked its way NORTH into “No-Man’s Land” and would have gained the American lines had the Germans not over-run them in a counter-attack. They were then found in a ditch by an enemy patrol, who threw grenades amongst them, wounding all but two of the party. Lt. Fowles sustained 5 wounds but arose & chased the Germans until he collapsed. Had it not been for this stroke of misfortune on the 42nd day of their being in enemy lines, Lt. Fowles would have succeeded against overwhelming odds in bringing back his party to the Allied lines.

His determination, courage & leadership were of the highest exemplary value and quality.

SIGNED BY:

Lt.Col. R.B. Mayne DSO.

J.M. CALVERT DSO, BRIG COMD S.A.S. TROOPS

B. L. Montgomery