Edward Fegen | |
|---|---|
 Edward Fegen | |
| Born | (1891-10-08)8 October 1891 |
| Died | 5 November 1940(1940-11-05) (aged 49) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1904–1940 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | HMS Jervis Bay (1940) HMS Curlew (1939) HMS Dragon (1938) HMS Dauntless (1935) HMSOsprey (1932–34) HMS Forres (1926–27) HMS Volunteer (1924) HMS Somme (1922–24) |
| Conflicts | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Sea Gallantry Medal (Silver) |
CaptainEdward Stephen Fogarty Fegen,VC, SGM (8 October 1891 – 5 November 1940) was aRoyal Navy officer and a recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British andCommonwealth forces.
Edward Stephen Fogarty Fegen was born into a naval family, one of four children his father being Vice-Admiral F. F. Fegen MVO.[1] He was born at 42 Nightingale Rd, Southsea, Hampshire, on 8 October 1891. At the age of 12, he entered Osborne Royal Naval College and in 1909, he was appointedMidshipman onHMSDreadnought.
On 24 March 1918, while the British ship SSWar Knight was proceeding up theEnglish Channel in convoy, she collided with the United States oil carrierO.B. Jennings. It appears that thenaphtha, which was on board the latter vessel, ignited, and the two ships and surrounding water were soon enveloped in flames. The master ofO.B. Jennings gave orders that all the ship's available boats should be lowered, those on the starboard side were burnt, and the crew abandoned the ship in the port boats, whilst the master, chief engineer, chief officer and three others remained on board.HMS Garland, under the command of Lieutenant Fegen, with other destroyers, were proceeding to the spot to render assistance, when it was seen that one boat which had been lowered fromO.B. Jennings had been swamped.Garland closed withO.B. Jennings, rescued the men from the swamped boat, and then proceeded alongside the ship, which was still blazing, and rescued those who were still on board. She afterwards proceeded to pick up the others who had left the ship in boats, rescuing in all four officers and twenty-two men. Lieutenant Fegen handled his ship in a very able manner under difficult conditions during the rescue of the survivors, while QuartermasterDriscoll worked the helm and saw that all orders to the engine-room were correctly carried out, and his actions during this rescue resulted in both being awarded SilverSea Gallantry Medals.
A little later in his naval career, Fegen was seconded to theRoyal Australian Navy, and during 1928–29, served as executive officer in theRoyal Australian Naval College, which was located onJervis Bay on the south coast ofNew South Wales. By coincidence, the vessel on which he later achieved fame (and death) was named after this bay.
He was 49 years old, and an actingcaptain in theRoyal Navy during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 5 November 1940 in theAtlantic, Captain Fegen, commanding thearmed merchantmanHMS Jervis Bay, was escorting 38 ships ofConvoy HX 84, when they were attacked by the Germanheavy cruiserAdmiral Scheer (often termed a "pocket battleship"). Captain Fegen immediately engaged the enemy head-on, thus giving the ships of theconvoy time to scatter. Out-gunned and on fireJervis Bay maintained the unequal fight for 22 minutes,[2] although the captain's right arm was shattered, and even after he died when the bridge was shot from under him.[3] He went down with his ship but 31 ships of the convoy managed to escape – includingSan Demetrio.
He was remembered inWinston Churchill's broadcast speech on 13 May 1945 "Five years of War",[4] as having defended Ireland's honour:
When I think of these days I think also of other episodes and personalities. I do not forgetLieutenant-Commander Esmonde, V.C., D.S.O.,Lance-Corporal Kenneally, V.C., Captain Fegen, V.C., and other Irish heroes that I could easily recite, and all bitterness by Britain for the Irish race dies in my heart. I can only pray that in years which I shall not see, the shame will be forgotten and the glories will endure, and that the peoples of the British Isles and of the British Commonwealth of Nations will walk together in mutual comprehension and forgiveness.
The citation for Fegen's Victoria Cross was published in theLondon Gazette on 22 November 1940, reading:[5]
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to the late Commander (acting Captain) Edward Stephen Fogarty Fegen, Royal Navy for valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the many ships it was his duty to protect.On the 5th of November, 1940, in heavy seas, Captain Fegen, in His Majesty's Armed Merchant Cruiser Jervis Bay, was escorting thirty-eight Merchantmen. Sighting a powerful German warship he at once drew clear of the Convoy, made straight for the Enemy, and brought his ship between the Raider and her prey, so that they might scatter and escape. Crippled, in flames, unable to reply, for nearly an hour the Jervis Bay held the German's fire. So she went down, but of the Merchantmen all but four or five were saved.
Issue #47 of the comic bookHitman byGarth Ennis andJohn McCrea contains a fictionalized account of Fegen's last battle and the sinking of theJervis Bay.