The relatives of a World War II flight lieutenant who perished during an attack on Germany say they are "amazed" to be reunited with his identification tags, 76 years after his death.
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The half-siblings of Flight Lieutenant Kevin Fell, along with other relatives, were presented with his identification tags at the Australian War Memorial on Monday afternoon.
The tags were discovered by coincidence at a former Red Cross headquarters in France, before eventually being handed to the Office of Australian War Graves.
The office got in touch with the Forbes and District Historical Museum - in the town where the lieutenant grew up - and was referred to his namesake and half-brother, Kevin Fell.
Mr Fell, who is 71, first spoke to a historian at the office in September last year.
"I felt amazed. It was just such a surprising thing and I had absolutely no expectation that it could happen," he said on Monday.
"I was a bit teary on the phone talking to [the historian] because of all of those memories.
"I obviously never knew my half-brother, but the emotion comes from thinking of my father."
Mr Fell told The Canberra Times his father, Lindsay James Fell, was proud of his eldest son, the lieutenant; it was reflected in his choice to give Mr Fell the same name.
The flight lieutenant's nephew, who also attended the war memorial presentation on Monday, is also named Kevin Fell.
The flight lieutenant's half-brother said their father was a senior journalist at Forbes Advocate when his son was reported missing after an attack in Germany in 1944.
He wrote an article for the paper, relaying the news; some three months later, he wrote another article confirming his death.
Neither stories were penned under Lindsay Fell's byline.
"My father had written [the lieutenant] a letter saying how much he loved him, and how much they wanted him to come back," his half-brother, Kevin Fell, said on Monday.
"He was hoping, obviously, that he had survived and was a perhaps a prisoner of war.
"The [air force] had written back saying, 'We understand why you're doing this, but security arrangements mean we can't do that because such a letter might fall into the hands of the enemy'."
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Mr Fell said the Australian War Memorial seemed "the appropriate place" for his family to receive the flight lieutenant's identification tags. The tags, along with lieutenant's service medals, would be donated to the Forbes and District Historical Museum.
"The identification tags were something that he was wearing when he died," Mr Fell said
"We've only ever had photographs of him and some stories, so to have something that was so closely connected with him at the time he died is quite emotional."
Veterans' Affairs Minister, Darren Chester - who presented the family with the identification tags - said Flight Lieutenant Kevin Fell was known as a "brilliant pilot".
"[He had] zeal and determination to get on with the job and I was honoured to present his relatives with his identification tags," Mr Chester said.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
