Tony Fasson

Coordinates: 32°30′N 33°00′E / 32.500°N 33.000°E / 32.500; 33.000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Francis Anthony Blair Fasson
Nickname(s)Tony
Born(1913-07-17)17 July 1913
Lanton, Scotland
Died30 October 1942(1942-10-30) (aged 29)
Mediterranean Sea
Buried
32°30′N 33°00′E / 32.500°N 33.000°E / 32.500; 33.000
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
RankLieutenant
Unit
Battles/wars
Second World War
Awards
Mentioned in Despatches

Lieutenant Francis Anthony Blair Fasson, GC (17 July 1913 – 30 October 1942), known as Tony Fasson,[1] was a Royal Navy officer. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross "for outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger" when, on 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean Sea, he captured codebooks vital for the breaking of the German naval "Shark" Enigma cipher from the sinking German submarine U-559.[2]

Early life

Fasson was born in the village of Lanton, Roxburghshire, the son of Francis Hamilton Fasson, a captain of the Scottish Horse, and Lilias Clara Fasson (née Bruce).[3] His uncle Robert Robertson Fasson was a commander in the Royal Navy.[4]

Naval career

Fasson was educated at

acting-sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1933, he attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and received promotion to sub-lieutenant on 16 May 1934, before being assigned to the light cruiser Curacoa on 5 January 1935.[3]

On 15 September 1935,[6] Fasson was attached to the Royal Air Force with the temporary rank of flying officer to train as a pilot at the No. 1 Flying Training School, RAF Leuchars. He returned to the navy on 16 June 1936[7] and joined the minesweeping sloop Salamander on 18 July, receiving promotion to lieutenant on 16 September. From 19 April 1937 he served aboard the escort vessel Shoreham in the East Indies, before joining the destroyer Windsor as first lieutenant on 5 August 1938.[3]

Fasson was appointed first lieutenant of the destroyer

Mention in Despatches.[8] In early 1941 Fasson was posted to HMS Nile, the naval headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt, finally returning to sea duty in March 1942 as first lieutenant of the destroyer Petard.[3]

Death

On 30 October 1942 Petard, in conjunction with the destroyers

Sunderland flying boat of No. 47 Squadron RAF based in Port Said, attacked and badly damaged the German submarine U-559. The crew of the U-559 abandoned their vessel, with 7 dead and 38 survivors.[9]

Fasson and Able Seaman

London Gazette on 14 September 1943.[11]

The codebooks that Fasson, Grazier, and Brown retrieved were immensely valuable to the code-breakers at Bletchley Park, who had been unable to read U-boat Enigma for ten months. The captured material allowed them to read the cyphers for several weeks, and to break U-boat Enigma thereafter.[12]

Memorials

Fasson is commemorated with plaques at

British Legion Club, while his George Cross is held by the Scottish National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle.[12]

References

  1. ^ Michael Ashcroft, George Cross Heroes, 2010
  2. ^ "Fasson, Francis Anthony Blair". TracesOfWar.com. 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d Houterman, Hans (2012). "Royal Navy Officers 1939–1945 (F)". unithistories.com. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. ^ Fasson grave, Grange Cemetery
  5. ^ "Sons & Daughters – Jedburgh Grammar School". jedburghgs.co.uk. 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  6. ^ "No. 34203". The London Gazette. 1 October 1935. p. 6141.
  7. ^ "No. 34300". The London Gazette. 30 June 1936. p. 4165.
  8. ^ "No. 34868". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 June 1940. p. 3502.
  9. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-559". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. ISBN 0-471-49035-0
    .
  11. ^ "No. 36169". The London Gazette. 14 September 1943. p. 4073.
  12. ^ a b "The Fasson Enigma". discovertheborders.co.uk. 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
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