Michael Fell (Royal Navy officer)


Sir Michael Frampton Fell, was a Royal Navy officer who served as Flag Officer, Carriers from 1968 to 1970.

Early life and education

Fell was born in Calcutta, British India, the younger son of Herbert Leigh Fell and Winifred Adeline Fell. He was educated at Harrow School.

Naval career

Fell joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in July 1938. After qualifying as a pilot, he became commanding officer of 805 Naval Air Squadron in the Western Desert in late 1941 during the Second World War. He went on to command 878 Naval Air Squadron in Sicily from early 1943 before becoming air commander on the aircraft carrier, in which role he led the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz as part of the Home Fleet Strike force of Operation Tungsten, and then became air commander on the aircraft carrier.
Fell next served as air commander on the aircraft carrier during the Korean War. He went on to be commanding officer of the frigate in 1957, station commander of RNAS Lossiemouth in 1958 and commanding officer of the frigate in 1961. After that he became chief of staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1963, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier in 1965 and Flag Officer, Gibraltar in 1966. His final appointments were as Flag Officer, Carriers in 1968, as Flag Officer Naval Air Command in 1970 and as chief of staff to the Commander Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe in 1972 before retiring in 1974.

Personal life

In 1948, Fell married Elise "Elsie" Joan McLauchlan-Slater.
Fell collapsed and died at the wheel of his car on 3 December 1974, near his home at Stoughton, West Sussex. Lady Fell died on 2 March 2015.