GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
Michael Frampton Fell was born in January 1918 and was educated at Harrow. Entering the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in July 1938, he trained as a Fleet Air Arm pilot and was commissioned Sub. Lieutenant on qualifying for his ‘Wings’.
In November 1939, owing to the potential threat of Luftwaffe attacks on the Fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow, the Royal Navy formed 804 Squadron, which unit Fell joined in the same month. Equipped with Gladiators and based at H.M.S. Sparrowhawk, R.N.A.S. Hatson, the Squadron came under Fighter Command’s control and remained so during the Battle of Britain period. As a consequence, Fell and his fellow Gladiator aircrew flew alongside such unit’s as Peter Townsend’s “Fighting Cocks” of No. 43 Squadron.
First Blood - a rare biplane victory
With the German invasion of Norway and Denmark in April 1940, and the resultant deployment of elements of the Home Fleet off Norway, the Luftwaffe commenced a series of reconnaissances and raids against our most northern naval bases and it was in the course of one such incursion on 10 April 1940 that Fell shared in the destruction of an He. 111 over Copinsay.
As recalled by Lieutenant Donald Gibson, a fellow F.A.A. pilot, ‘In our Gladiators we had several alerts after German reconnaissance aeroplanes; there was an R.A.F. Hurricane Squadron at Wick [No. 43], which had success and our first blood was partly by courtesy of this squadron. I think we both intercepted more or less together and somehow we became involved and shot it down.’
804‘s Squadron’s war diary entry elaborates further:
‘A tremendous day for H.M.S. Sparrowhawk, the first and we hope by no means the last. 804 began their fun at 16:05 hours when Yellow Section flew off to Copinsay. There were a great many plots on the board, the weather fine with layers of cloud varying in density up to about 10,000 feet. About 16:40 hours Yellow 3 saw a Do. 17 [sic] and the Section gave chase. Sub.-Lt. Fell got in a burst at about 500 yards as the Do. 17 disappeared into the cloud: but followed him in. Yellow 2 went in above the cloud and as he came out so did the Do. 17 some 400 yards away. Peacock got in a burst before the e./a. dived away back into the clouds. We were later informed that Do. 17 was crying S.O.S. with a leaking petrol tank and did not reach his base.’
There were no Do. 17s involved in these actions, only He. 111s and it seems probable that their victim was a Heinkel from 1/KG 26 that ultimately crashed into the sea off the island of Sylt: Oberleutnant Otto Houselle, Unteroffizier Franz Gruber and one other member of the crew were drowned.
H.M.S. Ark Royal - Skuas - Western Mediterranean - brace of Cant seaplanes
Shortly after gaining his first ‘kill’, Fell joined No. 800 Squadron, bound for the Western Mediterranean in the Ark Royal. It was here, in July 1940, as Ark Royal undertook operations as part of Admiral Somerville’s Force ‘H’, that Fell gained his next victories, this time piloting Skuas.
First up was an Italian Cant Z.506 (B.) on the 9th, 800 Squadron catching up with the prowling enemy aircraft after it had been on patrol for three hours. Following a determined attack, mounted by Fell and his Observer/Gunner, Naval Airman D. H. Lowndes, and two other Skuas, the stricken Cant fell into the sea; Capitano Domenico Oliva, the pilot, appears to have survived the ordeal, but his Observer and Radio Operator were mortally wounded.
On 2 August 1940, Ark Royal took part in Operation “Hurry”, when the carrier Argus launched twelve Hurricanes and two Skuas for Malta. As the Fleet turned back towards Gibraltar, fighter patrols from Ark Royal engaged enemy ‘shadowers’ from Sardinia. Five Skuas from 800 Squadron, one of them piloted by Fell, once more in partnership with Lowndes, claimed another Cant Z.506 (B.) shot down. Italian records reveal that the aircraft in question limped back to Cagliari with one dead and three wounded aboard.
Land-based operations - Hurricanes and Martlets - Western Desert - another shared destroyed and two probables
In late 1941, Fell joined the R.N. Fighter Squadron in the Western Desert, which operated in Hurricanes alongside the R.A.F. At 16:40 hours on 23 November, the unit’s Hurricanes intercepted Italian Fiat G.50s 20 miles south-east of Gubi. In the ensuing dogfight, Fell - piloting Hurricane I Z4189 - claimed a probable. A little over a month later, and having in the interim been posted to another land-based Hurricane unit - 806 Squadron - he claimed an He. 111 as probably destroyed in a dogfight over Tobruk.
Advanced to the acting rank of Lieutenant-Commander, Fell was next appointed C.O. of 805 Squadron, another desert unit, equipped with Martlets. He remained similarly employed until January 1943, in which period he shared in the destruction of a Ju. 88 off the coast on 28 February 1942.
His score now stood at four enemy aircraft shared destroyed and two probably destroyed. Their Lordships at the Admiralty appear to have deemed such gallant service as unworthy of reward: it was a shortcoming that was about to be put right in spectacular fashion, a D.S.O., D.S.C. and two “mentions” following in rapid succession.
H.M.S. Illustrious - Martlets - Sicily and Salerno - first “mention”
Returning to the U.K. in early 1943, Fell took command of a new unit, 878 Squadron, equipped with Martlet IVs. Going aboard Illustrious, the Squadron set sail for his old hunting ground, the Mediterranean, in time to support the Sicily and Salerno landings in July-August 1943. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 February 1944, refers), the recommendation stating:
‘By unfailing attention to duty and zeal this officer has produced in his squadron a high standard of efficiency which contributed largely to the successful carrying out of a most arduous programme.’
During a three day period in Operation “Avalanche” - the Italian landings - that programme required Fell and his fellow pilots to fly six hours a day. This was in addition to two hours standing at ‘readiness’.
H.M.S. Searcher - Operation “Tungsten” and the Tirpitz - D.S.O.
Fell next became an Air Group Commander in the carrier Searcher and it was in this capacity that he served as Wing Leader of No. 7 Wing during the Fleet Air Arm’s celebrated attack on the Tirpitz in her Norwegian lair on 3 April 1944.
As cited above, in the face of a fully alerted enemy, he led the second strike ‘with skill and efficiency and in the face of anti-aircraft fire ... he directed his fighters in a manner that effectively drew and distracted the anti-aircraft fire from the bomber force attacking the ship.’ Accounts differ but it would appear five hits were obtained by his Wing for the loss of two aircraft; certainly Fell carried out an attack on the Tirpitz himself, being one of a handful of pilots to actually gain a proper visual on the enemy battleship, owing to thick smoke.
As a consequence of “Tungsten”, Tirpitz’s crew suffered 438 casualties, over 120 of them killed, and the battleship was put out of action for three months; but for the Fleet Air Arm’s preferred mode for low-level attack - which reduced the effectiveness of their armour-piercing bombs - Tirpitz may well have been put out of action for good.
Official reports - and recommendations - in respect of “Tungsten” clearly reveal that Their Lordships of the Admiralty considered the attack equal to that enacted by the Fleet Air Arm at Taranto. Fell was awarded an immediate D.S.O.
H.M.S. Emperor - Hellcats - South of France - second “mention”
Following “Tungsten”, Fell removed to the carrier Emperor and was actively employed in Hellcats during operations over the South of France in August 1944. He was put forward for a decoration but in the event - probably on account of his recent award of the D.S.O. - this was reduced to a mention in despatches (London Gazette 27 March 1945, refers). The recommendation states:
‘During Operation “Dragoon” Lieutenant-Commander Fell lead 10 fighter bomber attacks and armed reconnaissances against enemy positions and transports. Throughout the nine days operations his courage, enthusiasm and skill were an inspiration not only to the pilots who flew with him but to those whose job was to get the aircraft into the air and provide them with a base for operations.’
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