Person:Dominick McFadden (1)

Royal Navy

Service Record

Attacked from the Air

On Sep. 7, 1915, Dominick was aboard the scout cruiser HMS Attentive as she operated in support of a British bombardment of German positions near Ostend. Two men were killed and seven wounded when a German aircraft dropped a bomb on her deck.

Meritorious Service Medal

On Dec. 27, 1918, Dominick and three of his shipmates aboard HMS Tedworth took actions for which they were later awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. While no detailed citation has been found for these men, the following was published in The London Gazette on Feb. 15, 1919:

The KING has been pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:

To be a Member of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order:

Acting Artificer Engineer Henry John Northey, R.N. For valuable services in effecting repairs to H.M.S. "Tedworth" on the 26th December, 1918, at sea in extremely heavy weather and at great personal risk.

Though the dates are a day apart, it seems likely that Dominick was part of a crew led by Northey to make repairs "in extremely heavy weather and at great personal risk" and that this is the source of his medal.

Other Medals

• 1914-15 Star Medal
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal

This trio of medals were known as Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred. They were never awarded individually, but were standard offerings to British soldiers and sailors who served during World War I.

Mine Clearance Service

Discharge

Relatives in the Military

• William McFadden, Dominick's older brother, was a gunner in the Royal Marine Artillery from 1893-1919.
• Jim Campbell, Dominick's first cousin, was seriously wounded at the Battle of Passchendaele while serving with the Australian Imperial Force.
• "Big Jim" McFadden, Dominick's first cousin, was a private in the Irish Guards from 1915-1919.
• Denis McFadden, Dominick's first cousin, was a private in the U.S. Army from 1917-1919.