Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 173

The Victory Medal to Air Commodore Peregrine F. M. Fellowes who was awarded D.S.O and bar for leading a raid against the locked gates at Zeebrugge

Victory Medal 1914-1919 (Lt. Col. P. F. M. Fellowes. R.A.F.), rank and name officially reimpressed, very fine

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1918

Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 8 February 1919

M.I.D. London Gazette 16 December 1919

Peregrine Forbes Morant Fellowes was born on 23 December 1883 in Victoria to English parents before moving back to England and attending the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. He then enlisted into the Royal Navy on 15 January 1899 and first served on H.M.S. Britannia as a Midshipman. He was promoted to Acting Sub-Lieutenant in August 1903 and was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in April 1905 aboard H.M.S. Wizard. In the years following Fellowes served aboard Victory, Teviot, King Edward VII, Ariadne and Excellent. On 26 October 1910 he retired as medically unfit from the Royal Navy, likely due to a compound fracture he received the year before in June 1909.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Fellowes reenlisted into the Royal Navy and initially worked as an Assistant Inspector of Steel from 26 September 1914. Six months later he became attached to H.M.S. President for service with the Air Department - a crucial career move for his pivoting from the sea to the air. From April 1917 - April 1918, Fellowes worked as Officer Commanding and Squadron Commander of No.1 Wing and No.2 Squadron of the R.N.A.S.. On 28 May 1918, he was wounded in action and taken prisoner of war when he was shot down with 217 Squadron in an Airco D.H.4..

'[217 Squadron] shared a daring raid on Zeebrugge mole on the 18th. A 214 Squadron Handley Page, piloted by a Canadian Capt CH Darley (in 0/100 3135?), gilded in at the lock gates from the sea at about two hundred feet and dropped three bombs. One exploded near the gates. Ten minutes later, this DH4 crew came in on another low attack and dropped two more bombs. One may have hit the target. Fellowes, who was the commanding Officer of 61st Wing, and Pritchard were shot down and taken prisoner' (The Sky Their Battlefield, Trevor Henshaw refers p.333).

He was repatriated on 28 November 1918 and awarded Permanent Commission as Lieutenant Colonel on 1 August 1919. Fellowes continued to serve after the war with the Royal Air Force, particularly in Palestine and in the Chanak Crisis and became Chief Staff Officer, Middle East in October 1923. While serving there, he opened the world's first regular air route between Cairo and Baghdad. He was then promoted to Director of Airship Development in July 1924 and Director of Personal Service in July 1929. Lastly, he was made A.O.C. of No. 23 Group in September 1930.

Fellowes then led the 1933 Everest Air Expedition, where he successfully orchestrated the first British team, including Squadron Leader Lord Clydesdale and Flight Lieutenant McIntyre, to fly 'over the roof of the world'. In order to successfully fly over the world's highest mountain, they had to specifically adapt Westland Wallaces for the mission. Fellowes wrote a book documenting his experiences called First Over Everest The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition 1933. Follow the link below to watch the British Pathe film documenting the expedition.

https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/39407/

Fellowes later retired to Pietermaritzberg in South Africa, where he subsequently died.

Lot comes with an unofficially engraved British War Medal to Fellowes.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate

Starting price
£70