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Martin Costin FELL MID
Serial Number: NZ402118
RNZAF Trade: Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner
Date of Enlistment: December 1940
Rank Achieved: Flight Sergeant
Flying Hours: 440 hours
Operational Sorties: 56 opsDate of Birth: 20th of May 1912, in Wanganui
Personal Details: Martin was the son of Robert Edmund Fell and Edith Ethel Fell. He and his family moved to the Cambridge district in about 1920. He was educated at Pairere School, near Tirau, and upon leaving he worked on his father's farm. At the time of applying to join the RNZAF on the 27th of September 1939 [one record states 1931 but this is likely to be a typo] he was in partnership with his father on a farm at Cambridge.He was a keen athlete and had represented both Cambridge and Matamata Rugby Unions.
Service Details: Martin began his RNZAF life at the Ground Training School, RNZAF Levin, on the 28th of July 1940. Following his introductory course into the Air Force, he was posted to the Training Squadron at RNZAF Station Ohakea on the 24th of August 1940. There he trained as a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. On completion of the course in early October 1940 he received his WAG brevet wings and was promoted to Sergeant.
On the 6th of October 1940 he embarked for the United Kingdom, aboard the Mataroa. He arrived on the 30th of November and was sent to the Reception Centre at Uxbridge. He remained at this facility till the 31st of January 1941 when he got his posting to No. 3 Group Training Squadron, Stradishall, Suffolk, for a refresher course and extra training on Wellington bombers.
This training lead Martin to his next posting, to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron at Feltwell, Norfolk. He arrived at the squadron on the 5th of March 1941, and was soon made operational. He went on to complete 32 operational sorties with the squadron on his first tour, as Wireless Operator and Air Gunner aboard Wellingtons in raids bombing the following targets:
Date Wellington Target Crew
Sgt Fred Minikin (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Basil Johnson-Barrett (Observer)
Sgt Fred Haigh DFM (WOAG)
Sgt Broad (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Fred Minikin (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Basil Johnson-Barrett (Observer)
Sgt Fred Haigh DFM (WOAG)
Sgt Broad (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
P/O C. Evans (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Alan Hobbs (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Russell (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt James Brooks (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Birch (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Patrick Townsend (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt E.B. Powell (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Birch (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Mascall (Observer)
Sgt Mason (WOAG)
Sgt George Gascoyne DFM (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Birch (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Dewy (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
(daylight op)
Sgt Mateitich (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Levack (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Dyer (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Barnett (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Clements (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt James(2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
Sgt Reid (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
P/O Johnson (2nd Pilot)
Sgt Minchin (Observer)
Sgt Bearne (WOAG)
Sgt Davies (Air Gunner)
Sgt Martin Fell (Air Gunner)
We seem to be missing details of three of his ops, because we have 29 ops listed above but some records show he flew 32 with the squadron, his 32nd operation being a daylight search for German cruisers.
On the 9th of August 1941, his aircrew shot down a Messerschmitt 110, and no doubt Martin's guns had contributed to the 'kill'.
In early September 1941 he was posted to No. 38 Squadron, based at Harswell in Berkshire. He was again on Vickers Wellingtons. Late in the same month the squadron moved to Malta, via Gibraltar. They arrived at Malta on the 1st of October 1941. On the same date he got his promotion to Flight Sergeant.
From Malta, Martin was involved in three operational sorties against German targets, bombing enemy installations at Tripoli, Naples and Sardinia.
On the 29th of October he and the squadron moved again, to Shallua, Egypt. From here he was crew of a bomber that raided Benghazi four times, Derna aerodrome and also a sixth unknown target.
On the 26th of May 1942, Martin arrived back at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, in the the UK. He had been posted to No. 159 Squadron, who operated Consolidated Liberators. He returned to the Middle East with this squadron in late June 1942, arriving on the 25th of June at Fayid, Egypt. They had made a non stop trip direct from Gibraltar lasting nearly 12 hours.
On this squadron further sorties were added to his total before he was killed on his 56th operational sortie.
Martin had been Mentioned in Dispatches for his deeds as a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. The citation read:“ For gallant and meritorious services”
Details of Death: Whilst on an air raid on Benghazi, Libya, on Wednesday the 15th of July 1942, Martin's Consolidated Liberator II bomber, AL566, was seen by another bomber crew to be attacked by enemy fighters in the target area and spiral into the sea. Martin had been flying with No 159 Squadron, RAF from St Jean, Palestine, as part of 242 Wing, 205 Group. It was reported in the Waikato Times newspaper on the 1st of March 1943 that his death was now officially presumed, upgraded from missing, believed killed. Martin was aged 30
Commemorated: on Column 265 of the Alamein Memorial, because the bodies of the crew were never found.
Connection with Cambridge: Martin lived in the Cambridge district for most of his life
Note: Details of this airman's death were sourced from the excellent volumes of 'For Your Tomorrow' by Errol Martyn. See more details on these highly recommended books here
Other information has come from Official Records, the No. 75 Squadron Archives, and from Colin Hanson's excellent book 'By Such Deeds' .
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