We regret to advise of the death of Sergeant Robert “Bob” Mann Fetherston Sr, G.M. (Ret’d) peacefully at the North Bay ON General Hospital on 1 February 2004 at the age of 80 years.
Bob was a WW II veteran who served overseas with the Royal Canadian Engineers, 11th Field Company. He was decorated with the George Medal for outstanding bravery for having saved the lives of four British Soldiers. On 1 June 1945, his 22nd birthday, while leading a work party of four sappers, he came across a captured German ammunition dump that had just exploded. He and his work party entered the dump and found extensive damage and many casualties. A barge on the adjacent canal used by British troops was heavily damaged and sinking with many British soldiers trapped inside. Bob and his party managed to evacuate four injured soldiers to safety before the barge sank.
After the war, he became a salesman and for many years was the Northern Ontario Representative for Forsyth Shirts and Deacon Bros. Sportswear. He was a well-known horseman throughout the North, competing in numerous competitions. He was a charter member of the North Bay Light Horse Association, a former Commodore of the North Bay Yacht Club and an active member of the North Bay Rotary Club for a period of 44 years. He was also an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion North Bay Branch #23 and the RCAF 406 Wing Alliance as well as an active Shriner (40 Years), the Rorab Cycle Unit and for many years a participant in the Association of Canadian Travellers.
Visitation will be at the Martyn Funeral Home across from North Bay City Hall on 4 February from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Trinity United Church, 111 McIntyre Street E., North Bay, on T54 February at 11 a.m. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. {gdOct2016kh}
George Medal Citation:
On the morning of 1 June 1945, Corporal Fetherston was in charge of a party of four sappers who were to supervise a German working party building roads in an enemy explosive and ammunition dump on the Ems-Jade Canal south of Emden. At approximately 1100 hours when they were about 150 yards from the dump with two tipper lorries awaiting the arrival of the Germans they heard and saw a series of tremendous explosions in the dump. After taking shelter from flying shrapnel and blast and after the initial explosions had died down, Corporal Fetherston accompanied by Sapper Garrett went into the dump to investigate. Corporal Fetherston found that the damage was considerable and that there were casualties amongst the British and German soldiers who had been working in the dump. He called up the remainder of his party with the two tipper lorries and ordered them to start evacuating the injured, commandeering all available transport for the purpose. He sent Sapper Garrett to notify a nearby Provost to get ambulances and firefighting apparatus to the scene. By this time, the dump itself, which had contained about 350 tons of shells, ammunition and mines, was burning fiercely with minor explosions occurring in the burning areas. Corporal Fetherston, accompanied by Sapper Garrett now back in the dump, noticed that amongst the several ammunition barges lying in the canal there were two used as quarters by the British troops guarding the dump. One of the latter barges was on fire and other had suffered considerable damage, was piled high with debris and listing heavily. Cries for help were emanating from this second barge and investigation showed that there were injured men imprisoned in the hold underneath the debris. The hold was rapidly filling with water and it was obvious that the barge would not remain afloat much longer. Working at top speed and disregarding his own safety, Corporal Fetherston and Sapper Garrett extricated four badly injured men from the hold and took them to a place of safety. By this time the hold was completely full and further rescue was impossible. Corporal Fetherston then returned to assist further with the evacuation of the injured. This Non-Commissioned Officer was for the greater part of the time in the midst of the burning dump with ammunition, shells and mines exploding intermittently. The untiring efforts, decisive action and complete disregard for all danger of Corporal Fetherston are worthy of the highest praise and were instrumental in saving the lives of at least four British soldiers.
