Great Ayton RAF pilot buried 86 years after being gunned down in WW2

Squadron Leader George Morley Fidler was just 27 when his Hawker Hurricane was brought down over France on May, 19, 1940.

Members of the public gathered in France on Tuesday (May 19) to witness the burial with full military honours of the World War Two Hurricane Pilot.

Fidler joined the RAF in 1934 and spent several years in Egypt, with brief spells in Cyprus and India.

He was described as an ‘exceptional’ pilot by his superiors and in February 1940, he joined 607 Squadron.

The bearer party, comprised of serving personnel from RAF Halton, carry Squadron Leader Fidler’s coffin (Image: RAF/MOD)

On the afternoon of May, 19, 1940, his plane was shot down above Cambrai.

It was initially believed the pilot’s remains had been recovered and buried in the French village of Bachy. 

However, in 2005 metal detectorists discovered wreckage 35km away in Oisy-le-Verger. 

One piece had a serial number ‘P3535’, suggesting it came from his Hurricane.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) investigated the grave to see if it was that of the 27-year-old.

Squadron leader George Morley Fidler, provided by the Great Ayton History Society (Image: UNKNOWN)

Then in 2022, work on the Seine-Nord Canal at Oisy-le-Verger, in northern France, unearthed a Hurricane with the pilot still inside near to where Fidler’s aircraft was last seen.

Squadron Leader Fidler was laid to rest yesterday, with the service organised by the MOD’s ‘War Detectives’ who work to identify the recovered remains of British military casualties.

War detective Nicola Nash said: “Squadron Leader Fidler has been buried today 86 years after he was killed. 

“His story has been known to us since his grave was ‘unnamed’ many years ago. It has been wonderful to finally find him and be able to put him to rest. 

“Today we honour him and the sacrifices he made all those years ago.”

The pilot’s service took place at Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) London Cemetery and Extension, France.

Dr James Wallis, head of commemorations at the CWGC, said: “It is an honour for the Commission to pay our respects to Squadron Leader Fidler, following the 2022 discovery of his Hurricane along the route of the future Canal Seine-Nord Europe.

Members of RAF Halton, 607 Squadron and a Trumpeter of the Band of the Royal Air Force College stand behind Squadron Leader Fidler’s headstone (Image: RAF/MOD)

“That another commemorative service will be held today at his local church – in Great Ayton, Yorkshire – shows the power and impact of his war experience eight decades on.

“Now resting amongst fellow airmen at London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval, his grave will be cared for in perpetuity.”

The Great Ayton History Society previously said: “Following the recent discovery in Oisy-le-Verger, France, where engineers uncovered the remains of Squadron Leader George Morley Fidler – found seated in the cockpit of his Hawker Hurricane almost 86 years after being shot down – the story of this young man from Great Ayton has taken on renewed significance.

“George, just 27-years-old, was the son of George and Christiana Fidler and served as a pilot with 607 Squadron. 

“His aircraft, Hurricane P3535, was brought down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over France on 19 May 1940, where it buried itself in the ground with George still inside.

“In light of this remarkable discovery, the Great Ayton History Society will be updating George’s story as part of its annual Remembrance Day memorial plaques at Christ Church.”