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, New Guinea, New Guinea, 15 April 1944, aged 33 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lae War Cemetery Burial Plot Reference~ Plot NN, Row C, Grave 5. Personal Inscription ~ "DEAR LOVED HUSBAND OF CYNTHIA AND FRIEND OF DOUGLAS GARDNER". |
| 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 (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
Biography contributed by Stephen Bonald
Details of Final Mission~~~On April 15, 1944 at 7:55am CA-9 Wirraway (A20-480) took off from Gusap Airfield piloted by Flight Lieutenant Jack Unkles with observer Lieutenant John Fetherstonhaugh from the 45 Air Liaison Unit, Australian Headquarters, AIF on a tactical reconnaissance mission over Japanese occupied areas near Wantoat. After takeoff, the plane was never seen again and declared Missing In Action (MIA). Further investigation established that the Wirraway crashed into in a hillside near Kewieng village in the Finisterre Range. Afterwards, villagers trekked to the crash site and buried the remains of the crew next to the crashed plane.
In 1998, American anthropologist Dr. Will Betz was told about aircraft wreckage at an elevation of 7,546' / 2,300m near Kewieng village in the Finisterre Range. Later, the crash site was visited by Richard Leahy and Dr. Will Betz, who identified it as Wirraway A20-480. Villagers claimed the crashed plane was "persued by a Japanese fighter causing it to crash". In October 1998, a RAAF Forensic Recovery Team "Operation Kewieng" visited the crash site and conducted a survey and excavation that resulted in the recovery of both crew members.
Both of these war heros were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of remains, both crew members were buried with full military honors at Lae War Cemetery on 13th January, 1999. Flight Lieutenant Unkles in Plot NN. Row C. Grave 13 and Lieutenat John Fetherstonhaugh in Plot NN. Row C. Grave 12.
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