Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Ernest and Margaret Hannah Fayle, of Hay, New South Wales

F./O. Ernte Fayle
Death Presumed
Mr. and Mrs. E. Fayle, of Church Street, Hay, have been advised that their son, F./O. Ernie Fayle is now presumed to have lost his life. The Secertary, Department of the Air, has written to Mr. Fayle as  follows:— 'It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that the death of your son, Flying Officer Ernest Athol Fayle, has now been presumed, for official purposes, to have occurred on the 20th  February, 1944. 'The operation in respect of which your late son was reported missing, took place on the night of the 19th- 20th February, 1944, and Overseas Headquarters Royal Australian Air Force,  London, has presumed the casualty occurred on the 20th February.
The Minister for Air and members of the Air Board desire me to extend to you their profound sympathy.'
At the time he was reported missing, F./O. Fayle had been in England for 14 months after training with the R.A.A.F. in New South Wales and South Australia. He was the pilot of a Lancaster aircraft  detailed for an attack on Leipzig which aircraft failed to return to its base after the raid. The air communique concerning the night of this attack said that Bomber Command planes had been out in great strength and over 2300 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs had been dropped over Leipzig. The loss of 79 planes in the raid was the heaviest that the Bomber Command had then  suffered.
F./O. Fayle was the eldest of the three sons of Mr. and Mrs. E. Fayle, of Church Street, Hay, all of whom are in the Services. He was 25 at the time of his last operational flight, and was single. He was  educated in Hay at the Hay War Memorial High School and was afterwards employed at the Maude weir and in Wagga by the Department of Works, as a draftsman. Like his brothers, he was an out standing sport — both in spirit and skill — being an especially good cricketer and footballer. Many friends locally join in regretting the passing of a fine lad and extend their sympathies to Mr. and Mrs. Fayle and their sons and daughters in their sad loss.