FETHERSTONHAUGH, John Rawden
| Service Number: | VX20171 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 May 1940, Caulfield, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 45 Australian Air Liaison Section (AC) |
| Born: | Longwood, Victoria, Australia, 10 December 1910 |
| Home Town: | Melville Forest, Southern Grampians, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grazier |
| Died: | Air Operations, Papua New Guinea, 15 April 1944, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lae War Cemetery Plot NN Row C Grave 5 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hamilton War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 31 May 1940: | Enlisted Private, VX20171, Caulfield, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lieutenant, VX20171 | |
| 20 Oct 1940: | Embarked Private, VX20171, 2nd/4th Field Regiment, Mauretania, Melbourne | |
| 2 Apr 1941: | Promoted Bombardier | |
| 4 Jun 1941: | Promoted Australian Army (Post WW2), Sergeant | |
| 2 May 1942: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches | |
| 26 Nov 1942: | Promoted Lieutenant | |
| 15 Apr 1944: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, VX20171, 45 Australian Air Liaison Section (AC) |
Help us honour John Rawden Fetherstonhaugh's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
John Rawden FETHERSTONHAUGH was born in 1906 in Longwood, Victoria - his war record states born 10th Dec. 1910 which is incorrect
His parents were Francis Percy FETHERSTONHAUGH who was born in Ireland & Eva Madeline Floyd CHOMLEY (born Victoria) who married on 17th December 1896 in St Andrews Church, Longwood, Victoria
John married Cynthia Rosemary OFFICER on 9th March, 1940 in the Church of England Church in Balmoral, Victoria
He then enlisted with the Australian Army on 31st May, 1940 in Caulfield & was with the 2/4th Artillery which embarked from Port Melbourne on 20th October, 1940 on the ship Mauretania - he was living at Kassinbrook at the time
He was promoted to a Lance Bombadier on 4th October, 1941, a Bombardier on 2nd April, 1941, Lance Sergeant on 2nd June, 1941, Acting Sergeant 4th June, 1941, Lieutenant on 26th November, 1942 and also was Mentioned in Dispatches on 2nd May, 1942
He served with the 2nd Australian Imperial Force from 31st May, 1940 to 15th April, 1944 & served in Australia with the 2/4th Field Artillery Regiment & 1st Australian Air Liason section (45 Air Liason Group, Australian Head Quarters
Overseas he served in the Middle East and New Guinea in the 2/4 Field Artillery Regiment and the New Guinea Forces Air Liason Group
John was a passenger / observer in a Wirraway A20 480 on 15th April, 1944 in New Guinea on a reconnaissance flight over the Wantoat area when the aircraft failed to return - they were not found until 1998 and the crew were buried with full military honours at Lae War Cemetery on 13th January, 1999 - the pilot reportedly crashed while being chased by a Japanese A6M "Zero" according to some local villagers
The plane had in fact crashed into a hillside in the Finisterres Mountains & nearby villages trecked to the crash site & buried the crew next to the plane
See two listed links for detailed information about the crash & recovery of the bodies
Both John & the pilot Lieutenant Denis Jack UNKLES were officially declared deceased in October 1998 by an RAAF Forensic Recovery Team (Operation Kewieng)
Johns name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial & the Coleraine Cenotaph in Victoria
He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal & the Australia Service Medal
Click images to start slideshow.