DUTY WELL DONE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 44, 15 November 1940, Page 7

DUTY WELL DONE

Career Of Captain E. S. F. Fegen, R.N. i By S.D.W. i

Captain Edward Stephen I'ugarty b’egeii, whose gallantry in lighting his ship, 11.M.5. Jervis Bay, for two grim hours against overwhelming odds, undoubtedly saved the great convov ot 38 valuable merchant ships in his charge from almost certain complete destruction, had seen 36 years’ service in. the Royal Navy. It is a remarkable coincidence that lie met his death in the Jervis Bay. lor it is just over 10 vears since he completed a period uf two years’ service on the stall of the Australian Naval College al Jervis Bav.

A sou of llw laic Admiral ITederb'k F. Fegen. M.V.0.. Captain Fegen entered Osborne Naval College in 1991. lie served as a lieiilemnil throughout the war nf 191 l-l.s. He was first lieutenant of I lie dost rnyer Mansfield, from PHI to mill. Subsequently Im commanded the destroyers Moy. Garlaml and I’aladin.

He was promoted to the rank at commander on June 30, 11)27, and on January 20, 1928, was appointed sec-ond-in-charge on the staff of the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay, whore lie served for two years. In 1930. Commander Fegen. who was then serving as chief executive ollicer of H.M.S. Suffolk on Hie China Station. was specially commended by Hie Admiralty for the splendid boat, work carried out under his charge that resulted in the rescue of 14 members of

the crew of the Swedish motor-ship Hedwig whicli had run ashore in heavy weather on Hie I’ratas Reef in Um China Sea. The Suffolk's boats had to travel 28 miles across the iagoou inside the i’ratas Reef to reach the wrecked ship. A hard gale was blowing and visibility was so bad t hat I lie Suffolk had to make a black smoke cloud to serve as a guide to her boats. The feat of Commander Fegen and his boats' crews was the subject, of a special statement in the House of Commons by the then First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Alexander (who is the present holder of that position).

In April. 1933, Commander Fegeti was appointed to command tlie cruiser Dauntless, then in reserve at Portsmouth. On July 12, 1935, ho was appointed assistant to tlie King's Harliourmaster at Chatham Dockyard, "here lie remained for three years.

On .September 11). 1938. he was appointed to command H.M.S. Dragen. buys' iraining ship, in the Reserve Fleet at the Nore, from which lie transferred. on February 9, 1939, to H.M.S. Curlew, which was used fur a similar purpose. The Curlew, a cruiser of -1290 tons, was converted into an auti-air-<•1'1111 ship anil was sunk by German aircral'l bombs in a Norwegian fjord last April.

Willi the exception of certain s|K'cialists, tlie officers ami all tlie engineers of tlie Jervis Bay were in tlie service of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, Ltd., till the ship was taken over by tlie Admiralty at the beginning of the war. Most of them served at various periods in Hie Shaw, Savill ships in the New Zealand trade, in whicli tliey were well known. At leas: two-thirds of the other members of Hie crew of tlie Jervis Bay were from the service of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company