Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Mervyn Byron FETTELL was born on 14th June, 1916 in Goulburn NSW

His parents were Byron Atkins Smith FETTELL and Margaret MADDEN wno married in 1914

He married Joyce Doris Eleanor MURRAY in 1942

Mervyns name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial and the Roll of Honour in Hurlstone Park, Sydney

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His brother Allan Russell FETTELL also served in WW2  (SN NX94539) Army and was discharged in 1946

Flight Sergeant Mervyn Byron Fettell
 

Mervyn Fettell was the son of Byron Atkins Smith Fettell and Margaret Fettell of Earlwood, Sydney. He was known as Merv to his friends. He had one brother, Allan,[1] and he was educated at Canterbury Boys’ High School. He obtained his leaving certificate in 1935. Two of his mother’s brothers had served in the AIF – John Madden,[2] who lost his life at Pozières, and Thomas Madden,[3] who lost both legs near Armentières in northern France in 1917. At the time of his enlistment in February 1940, Merv was employed as a clerk with the Department of Railways NSW.

In 1941, Merv was a temporary sergeant employed at No. 2 Recruiting Centre when he applied to be re-mustered as aircrew. He was successful, and, in September 1941, he reverted to the rank of AC2 and commenced his aircrew initial training at 2 ITS at Bradfield Park. There, he was accepted for training as a pilot and joined Pilots’ Course 20 at 5 EFTS at RAAF Narromine on 11 December 1941.

Merv was far from a perfect pilot. His final assessment noted that he was below average and was ‘a plodding type’[4], but it also recognised his teamwork and determination. On completion of his elementary training, Merv was one of fifteen men selected to complete his training in Australia, possibly because of his upcoming wedding to Joyce Doris Eleanor Murray, which took place in July 1942.

In April 1942, Merv commenced his service flying training course at RAAF Point Cook. He was awarded his wings on 27 May 1942 under the pre-war training syllabus, but had to remain in Point Cook to undertake other courses for a number of months.

This period was not without incident. On 25 June, Merv misjudged a landing at Little River near Avalon, Victoria. Merv, flying a Airspeed Oxford Mk 1 twin-engine trainer (AR 933), touched down too far down the runway. Instead of executing a go-round, he persevered in trying to land, with the result the aircraft ‘ground looped’[5], causing damage to the port undercarriage, propeller and fuel tank – a total of £100 damage to the aircraft. Merv was charged with ‘Negligently damaging one of His Majesty’s Aircraft’[6], found guilty and fined fourteen days’ pay.

On completion of his time at Point Cook, Merv was promoted to sergeant. He returned to Sydney on leave before embarking for the United Kingdom on 17 October. He travelled via San Francisco and eventually arrived at 11 PDRC in Bournemouth on 16 December 1942.

On 12 February, he commenced advanced flying training at 11 AFU(P) at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire. In mid-March, he was promoted to temporary flight sergeant. He completed his advanced flying in late April and joined 27 OTU at RAF Lichfield in Staffordshire. He formed a crew and commenced his operational training on the Wellington bomber. Merv’s crew included two fellow Australians, F-Sgt Reg Bennett[7] and F-Sgt Bob Hilliard,[8] and three RAF airmen, Sergeants Morrison (WO/AG), Watt (AG) and Niel Shapley (AG).[9] In Bournemouth, Shawbury and Lichfield, Merv was reunited with a number of Narromine men who had trained in Canada and had arrived in the United Kingdom seven weeks before him.

At 0115 on the morning of 16 June 1943, Merv and his trainee crew were flying a Wellington on their first solo cross-country night exercise when they collided with a Lancaster at 10,000 feet. Merv was to fly a triangular route from Lichfield to Norfolk then Bristol and back to Lichfield— On the Norfolk to Bristol leg the visibility was good and the moon almost full but it would appear neither crew spotted each other’s aircraft. The collision caused catastrophic damage to the Wellington and it was probably only because of the aircraft’s unique design, which made it extremely strong, that it continued to fly. The Wellington’s starboard engine was almost ripped from the wing and a large hole was torn in the fuselage, forcing the forward entry hatch to open and all the electrics to fail.

Merv ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft. It was then that he realised his own parachute was missing. It had most likely fallen out of the open entry hatch. Bob Hilliard, the bomb aimer, made the following statement after the crash:

"At the time of the crash I had started to come forward when Bennett told me to fasten my parachute and bale [sic] out. However, I went back to view the damage. The starboard engine was nearly out of its mountings and there was a big gap in the fuselage. Flight Sergeant Fettell asked me to make another search for his parachute. The spare gunner and myself searched with torches but were unable to find the parachute, which had obviously fallen out. He told the gunner to leave but before doing so inspected his rip-cord and straps. The gunner then baled [sic] out. I stayed with Mervyn several more minutes, shining torches on the instrument panel in an endeavour to help. But as we were losing height rapidly and both engines had now cut out, he told me to bale [sic] out. I asked what he intended doing and he replied he would try and make a landing somewhere. There was nothing left for me to do and I said ‘Good luck Merv’. To which he replied ‘I’ll need it’. It was just like him and before I left the aircraft he insisted I shine the torch on my parachute and make certain of its security. As I pulled the ripcord one of the engines flew past me. Then the aircraft followed in a steep glide. There was not one second of panic from the first moment of the crash which was entirely due to Flight Sergeant Fettell’s complete control of the situation. I know we owe our lives to the courage and control of Merv. He was a grand chap and I personally feel that I have lost not only a wizard pilot but a wizard pal".[10]

Once the crew had safely exited the aircraft, Mervyn attempted to land. But, crippled by the loss of one engine and with no electrics, he overshot the runway, crashed into some trees and was killed. The crew of the second aircraft was also killed. Bob Hilliard and the surviving members of the crew were then made to fly again with a new pilot before being allowed to proceed on seven days’ survivors’ leave. With the exception of Niel Shapley, who was killed flying with No. 460 Squadron RAAF, they would go on to complete a tour of operations and survive the war.

In Australia, Joyce received notice that Merv had been killed, the sad news tempered only slightly by the reports of his courage in adversity. Merv’s actions were deserving of the award of the newly instituted George Cross; however, in 1943, it could not be awarded posthumously. Instead, his gallantry was brought to the notice of all ranks of RAF Bomber Command by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris[11] in a ‘Special Order of the Day”. In 1946, Joyce married Joseph Bretherton,[12] a returned soldier. She and Joseph settled in Marrickville, Sydney. Joyce passed away in 2010.

Flight Sergeant Mervyn Byron Fettell, RAAF is buried in the war graves section of the Cirencester Cemetery, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

His gravestone has a fitting epitaph: ‘He laid down his life for his friends. His duty nobly done.’

[1] Bmdr Allan Russell Fettell, 2nd AIF, of Marrickville; b. Goulburn, NSW, 12 Mar 1916; d. 20 Oct 1993.
[2] Pte John Alfred Madden, 2792, 4th Bn AIF; b. Terrabella, NSW, 1894; KIA Pozières, France, 24 Jul 1916.
[3] Pte Thomas Henry Madden, 1952, 34th Bn AIF; b. Terrabella, NSW, 1896.
[4]  National Archives Australia A705, 166/13/72
[5] Ground Loop – a violent, uncontrolled horizontal rotation of an aircraft while landing, taking off, or taxiing which often results in damage to wings or undercarriage.
[6] National Archives Australia A705, 166/13/72
[7] F-O Reginald William Elton Bennett, 412362, DFC; b. London, UK, 26 Feb 1915; d. Toronto NSW, 3 Jun 2004.
[8] F-O Robert Mackay Hilliard, 409832, DFC; b. Camberwell, Vic, d. Melbourne, 2 Aug 2001.
[9] Sgt Niel Shapley of Exmouth, Devon, UK; b. Newton Abbott, Devon, UK, 1924; KIA Bramstedt, Germany, 22 Sep 1943, aged 19.
[10] National Archives of Australia: A705, 166/13/72.
[11] Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris RAF, 1st Baronet, GCB, OBE, AFC; b. Cheltenham UK 13 Apr 1892, d. Henley UK 5 Apr 1984
[12] L/Bmdr Joseph Hartley Bretherton, NX, 173143, 2/1st Fld Regt, 2nd AIF; of Marrickville, NSW; b. Austinmer, NSW, 21 Jun 1921; d. 22 Sep 1986.

Primary Souce: "High in the Sunlit Silence, Tony Vine, Vivid Publishing 2017.