Name
Alfred Charles Garrett (Garrie) Fowler
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/09/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
215 Squadron
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
ARRAS FLYING SERVICES MEMORIAL
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin War Memorial, Stained Glass Window, Hitchin Boys Grammar School, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Alfted was known as Garrie and was born on the 17th June 1899 and his parents were Alfred and Fanny Fowler of ‘The Lodge’, Chiltern Road, Hitchin. Alfred senior was a builder.
Garrie attended the Hitchin Grammar School Kindergarten before progressing to the senior school, staying at the school from 1907-1913. He later went to the East Anglian School in Bury St. Edmund's.
Wartime Service
He was brought down and killed whilst flying over the enemy aerodrome of Fresksty near Metz. He was flying a new Handley Page HP 0/400 with 215 Squadron based at Xaffevillers South East of Nancy. A report of the 7th October 1918 stated that he was missing, and his death was confirmed some weeks later.
According to a report at the time issued by German Authorities to the Prisoner of War Agency in Switzerland, he was buried in the military cemetery in Metz "marked so that it could be found by the family", but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that he has no known grave.
No. 215 Squadron RAF was formed in France on 1 April 1918 by renumbering No. 15 squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. Soon after the squadron became part of the Royal Air Force it returned to England to re-equip with the Handley Page O/400 before returning to France as part of the Independent Air Force.
Additional Information
Garrie is commemorated in a book written by his Great Niece Christine Hunt, and called "Handley Page O/400 Night Bomber Pilot - "A Brave Aviator and a Gentleman" (ISBN: 9781732188310). This book was given away free and is a wonderful tribute to the man. It is available online as an eBook - one location is https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handley-page-o-400-night-bomber-pilot-a-brave-aviator-and-a-gentleman-christine-hunt/1130117595
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
