| Date: 27 August 1966 |
| Aircraft type: A-6A Intruder |
| Serial Number: 151822 |
| Military Unit: VA-65 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Constellation |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr John Heaphy Fellowes (POW) |
| Lt(jg) George Thomas Coker (POW) |
| VA-65 had been fortunate to lose only one Intruder so far during its cruise on the Constellation, however, on 27 August its luck changed. Two aircraft were en route to bomb the Ngoc Son road bridge but just as they started their pop up manoeuvre to commence their bombing run they ran into AAA about 15 miles northwest of Vinh. Part of the starboard wing of the leading aircraft (call sign Cupcake 405) was blown away and the remainder of the wing caught fire. As the controls froze the aircraft snapped into an inverted spin and Lt Cdr Jack Fellowes and Lt(jg) George Coker ejected at about 3,000 feet. Both men were soon captured and suffered the usual maltreatment in the POW camps. In October 1967 George Coker and USAF Capt George McKnight became two of the few Americans to escape from captivity in North Vietnam. However, they were recaptured the next day after travelling 15 miles and were severely tortured for the attempt. Fellowes and Coker had been on their 55th mission when they were shot down and were both released on 4 March 1973. Lt Cdr Fellowes was badly injured during his ejection and this, combined with the regular torture sessions resulted in him being unable to look after himself for more than four months. His roommate, USAF 1Lt Ron Bliss who was shot down a week later, cared for him during this time and probably saved Jack Fellowes’s life, a story of comradeship and courage oft repeated in the North Vietnamese camps. |
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