Clyde and Cyril Fenton, the brothers from Warrnambool

Old Collegians Cyril and Clyde Fenton attended St Patrick’s College in the early 1900s.

Sadly, there is little published in the College’s school year books about the two brothers from Warrnambool.

However the pair went on to lead quite extraordinary lives  – one as a maverick flying doctor in outback Australia and the other brother as holding the distinction of surviving being shot down over France by German flying ace, Lothar von Richtofhen, brother of the famed Red Baron.

A fabulous story was published recently about the brothers’ amazing exploits, please see below, courtesy of The Warrnambool Standard newspaper.

 

To read this amazing story above, click here and here and here or read the story online, please click here

 

While we sadly have no photographs of Clyde during his time at St Patrick’s College, our archives have unearthed these records relating to older brother Cyril, including a wonderful account in the 1911 SPC College Annual of Cyril’s heroics.

Cyril’s time at war is recorded in much more detail in the College’s Our Bravest publication, written by former College archivist Catriona Banks.

Our Bravest details Cyril’s enlisting at the age of 18 years, his work at the Dermatological Hospital in Cairo and then the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) England and tells of a flying accident in February 1917, the result of which left him unconscious and in a critical condition for three weeks. He had fractured the base of his skull, had a compound fracture of his right leg, cuts on his face and various abrasions and bruises on his face and body. But amazingly enough, Cyril was reported to be ‘doing splendidly’ by the end of March!

To read more about Cyril’s wartime experience and life in Our Bravest, please click here