In Memory Leonard Jack Vowler, RAFVR No 1850003 Sgt, Air Gunner
Leonard lived at Bickleigh in Devon. He was in a reserved occupation as a Blacksmith and Farmer. His parent's would not give him permission to join up. To cover his interviews for the RAF he told his parents that as he was in the ATC and the leader was leaving and he was doing courses to take over his job. To join he said he was a year older than what he was. This rather miffed him as when he was actually 21 he could not celebrate it. When he left to start in the RAF in 1942, he arranged to be picked up in a lorry. He could not use the train as his sister controlled the signal box.
He started as Pilot Navigator Bomber. He went to No 7 Initial Training Wing at New Quay in Cornwall. He carried on training until 1944. At this time it was realised that there were too many RAF staff under training all over the world. And so in June he went to a reclassification Wing in London. They did aptitude tests, at the end of which they were all told they had passed. However, with that news came the stark choice - either to join the Army or become Air Gunners.
Of course, he took the Air Gunners Course which took him off to Walney Island in Cumbria, No 10 AGS. Here he was in a group with Peter Witts and the late Harry Sykes. Leonard got a mark of 80.1%. This was worked out as they shot coloured bullets into a drogue. I am told this is a high mark. 39 from this course went straight to 223 Squadron, which was being reformed at RAF Oulton. Previously they were 111 OTU in the Bahamas on B24 Liberators.
The first crews were mixed. Then it was decided that permanent crews worked well. He joined Val Croft’s crew.
In December 1944 the front turret was removed from the Liberators, which improved the handling. Len was the front gunner. His crew would not let him go so they drew lots. He still lost. Then he went to 1699 HCU at RAF Oulton. This Unit converted crews to the B 24 Liberator. While there he formed part of the crew with Norman Ayres.
Their final flight was on the night of 20/21st of March 1945.
They were part of a window force to make it look as if Kassell was being attacked. The Germans took the bait. They sent their fighters to this area. They were shot down by what is believed to be a Messershmitt BF 110 with upward firing cannons called Schrage Musik.
Andrew Barron, a Navigator with Tony Morris' crew, thinks he saw the plane going down. Ayres managed to gain control of the plane. They went along throwing out equipment to lighten the load. Len bailed out. He was found dead in a tree still in his parachute. Probably there was not enough height for the canopy to open properly. The plane crashed in a wood. The only survivor was the special operator Coles. He came to in the wreck and found the Jostle set on top of him. He was seriously injured and handed over to the Germans. One will never know how many other lives were saved by his crew giving the ultimate sacrifice.
The total night operations are depicted on the wall in the City Of Norwich Aviation museum. Also they hold Les Matthews painting of the B 24 that he was shot down in. This was "T "Tommy, Arthur Anthony's lucky B 24.
The crew was buried in Buhle. A picket fence and memorial cross was placed at the graves.
About 1948, the British Government decided that all outlying graves should be re-interred in Hanover. This is where he now rests with his crew.
I have managed to visit his grave. The cemetery is an excellent War Graves Commission site.
My thanks go to Richard Forder for information in this story.
Rod Vowler
This article is from the Autumn 2007 issue of Confound and Destroy
