Michael Fell (Royal Navy officer)
Vice Admiral Sir Michael Frampton Fell, KCB, DSO, DSC & Bar (17 January 1918 – 3 December 1976) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Flag Officer, Carriers from 1968 to 1970.[3]
Sir Michael Fell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 January 1918 Calcutta, British India[1] |
| Died | 3 December 1976 (aged 58)[2] Stoughton, Chichester, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1938–1974 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | Naval Air Command Flag Officer, Carriers Flag Officer, Gibraltar HMS Ark Royal HMS Loch Killisport RNAS Lossiemouth HMS Puma 878 Naval Air Squadron 805 Naval Air Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Korean War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Service Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches (2) King’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
Early life and education
Fell was born in Calcutta, British India, the younger son of Herbert Leigh Fell and Winifred Adeline Fell. He was educated at Harrow School.[3]
Naval career
Fell joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in July 1938.[4] After qualifying as a pilot, he became commanding officer of 805 Naval Air Squadron in the Western Desert in late 1941 during the Second World War.[4] He went on to command 878 Naval Air Squadron in Sicily from early 1943 before becoming air commander on the aircraft carrier HMS Searcher, in which role he led the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz as part of the Home Fleet Strike force of Operation Tungsten, and then became air commander on the aircraft carrier HMS Emperor.[4]
Fell next served as air commander on the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney during the Korean War.[4] He went on to be commanding officer of the frigate HMS Puma in 1957, station commander of RNAS Lossiemouth in 1958 and commanding officer of the frigate HMS Loch Killisport in 1961.[4] After that he became chief of staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1963, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in 1965 and Flag Officer, Gibraltar in 1966.[4] His final appointments were as Flag Officer, Carriers in 1968, as Flag Officer Naval Air Command in 1970 and as chief of staff to the Commander Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe in 1972 before retiring in 1974.[4]
Personal life
In 1948, Fell married Elise "Elsie" Joan McLauchlan-Slater.[3]
Fell collapsed and died at the wheel of his car on 3 December 1974, near his home at Stoughton, West Sussex.[3] Lady Fell died on 2 March 2015.[5]
References
- Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939–1945
- England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
- "Obituary: Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Fell – Distinguished naval flier". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 4 December 1976. p. 14.
- "Medals of Sir Michael Fell". DNW. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- "Fell". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2018.