Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Captain

Unit:

1st Battalion, Special Air Service Regiment, British Army

Awarded on:

January 31st, 1945

Awarded for:

Operation Titanic I

Citation:
"On the night of 5/6 Jun 44, Lt FOWLES with another officer and 4 men landed by parachute near LE MESNIL VIGOT just SOUTH of the neck of 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 tps in the area were a panzer Grenadier Div, a SS Div and a mixed Bde of Mongolian and Ukranian Tps. Although the work of the party was prejudiced by a miss-timing of their "drop", the success of the party 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 tps in approx 9 days. The party spent 6 weeks waiting to be relieved and on the 17 Jul 44 they were captured. During this period they did considerable sabotage work to signal & electrical installations & collected valuable information which they passed to Intelligence channels. Their situation was highly unenviable. During the 3rd week a German Anti Para Coy was specifically detached to hunt them & on occasions came very close indeed, as illustrated by the fact that once Lt Fowles' party and the Germans spent the night at apposite ends of the 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 who had to be carried. The party was seldom at any time more than 450 yds from Germans; in fact they found greater safety from pursuit in keeping within 200 yds of different enemy HQ's. Being within enemy lines they were subjected to constant shell-fire from our own guns. Their undurance was severely taxed lack of food. As from the 3rd week their French contacts could only bring food once or twice in a week and at that in very limited quantities. They could not cook as it was impossible to have a fire. For the last two weeks they lived chiefly on raw vegetables. Throughout a period of acute nervous & 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 therain. Under cover of darkness he organised 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 moral of his party cannot be over-estimated.
On 17 Jul 44 the party had worked its way NORTH into "No-Man's-Land" & would have gained the American lines had the germans not over-run them in a counter-attack. They were found in a ditch by an enemy patrol who threw grenades amongst them, wounding all but two of the party. Lt. Fowles sustained 5 wds 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 bringin back his party to the Allied lines. His determination, courage & leadership were of the highest exemplary value and quality."