{{Short description|Royal Navy officer (1913–1942)}} {{EngvarB|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox military person | name = Francis Anthony Blair Fasson | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = Tony | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1913|7|17}} | birth_place = Lanton, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1942|10|30|1913|7|17}} | death_place = Mediterranean Sea | burial_place = | burial_coordinates = {{Coord|32|30|N|33|00|E|type:event|display=inline,title}} | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = Royal Navy | service_years = | rank = Lieutenant | service_number = | unit = {{Plainlist| * {{HMS|Rodney|29|6}} * {{HMS|Salamander|J86|6}} * {{HMS|Shoreham|L32|6}} * {{HMS|Windsor|D42|6}} * {{HMS|Hostile|H55|6}} * {{HMS|Petard|G56|6}} }} | commands = | battles = Second World War * Mediterranean and Middle East theatre ** Mediterranean War *** Sinking of German submarine ''U-559'' {{KIA}} | awards = George Cross<br/>Mentioned in Despatches | relations = | other_work = }} Lieutenant '''Francis Anthony Blair Fasson''', {{post-nominals|size=100%|GC}} (17 July 1913 – 30 October 1942), known as '''Tony Fasson''',<ref>Michael Ashcroft, ''George Cross Heroes'', 2010</ref> was a Royal Navy officer. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross "for outstanding bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in the face of danger" when, on 30 October 1942 in action in the Mediterranean Sea, he captured codebooks vital for the breaking of the German naval "Shark" Enigma cipher from the sinking {{GS|U-559}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/501 |title=Fasson, Francis Anthony Blair |work=TracesOfWar.com |year=2012 |accessdate=30 October 2012}}</ref>
==Early life== Fasson was born in the village of Lanton, Roxburghshire, the son of Francis Hamilton Fasson, a captain of the Scottish Horse, and Lilias Clara Fasson (née Bruce).<ref name="unithistories">{{cite web |url= http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersF.html |title=Royal Navy Officers 1939–1945 (F) |first=Hans |last=Houterman |work=unithistories.com |year=2012 |accessdate=30 October 2012}}</ref> His uncle Robert Robertson Fasson was a commander in the Royal Navy.<ref>Fasson grave, Grange Cemetery</ref>
==Naval career== Fasson was educated at Jedburgh Grammar School,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jedburghgs.co.uk/sons--daughters.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610224320/http://www.jedburghgs.co.uk/sons--daughters.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 June 2015 |title=Sons & Daughters – Jedburgh Grammar School |work=jedburghgs.co.uk |year=2012 |accessdate=30 October 2012}}</ref> and entered the Royal Navy on 6 September 1930, serving aboard the battleship {{HMS|Rodney|29|2}} as a midshipman until June 1933. Promoted to acting-sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1933, he attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and received promotion to sub-lieutenant on 16 May 1934, before being assigned to the light cruiser {{HMS|Curacoa|D41|2}} on 5 January 1935.<ref name="unithistories"/>
On 15 September 1935,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34203 |date=1 October 1935 |page=6141 }}</ref> Fasson was attached to the Royal Air Force with the temporary rank of flying officer to train as a pilot at the No. 1 Flying Training School, RAF Leuchars. He returned to the navy on 16 June 1936<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34300 |date=30 June 1936 |page=4165 }}</ref> and joined the minesweeping sloop ''[http://www.halcyon-class.co.uk/salamander/hms_salamander.htm#salamanderhome HMS Salamander (J86)]'' on 18 July, receiving promotion to lieutenant on 16 September. From 19 April 1937 he served aboard the escort vessel {{HMS|Shoreham|L32|2}} in the East Indies, before joining the destroyer {{HMS|Windsor|D42|2}} as first lieutenant on 5 August 1938.<ref name="unithistories"/>
Fasson was appointed first lieutenant of the destroyer {{HMS|Hostile|H55|2}} on 20 July 1939, and saw action aboard her on 10 April 1940 during the First Battle of Narvik, after which he received a Mention in Despatches.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34868 |date=7 June 1940 |page=3502 |supp=y }}</ref> In early 1941 Fasson was posted to {{HMS|Nile}}, the naval headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt, finally returning to sea duty in March 1942 as first lieutenant of the destroyer {{HMS|Petard|G56|2}}.<ref name="unithistories"/>
===Death=== On 30 October 1942 ''Petard'', in conjunction with the destroyers {{HMS|Pakenham|G06|2}} and {{HMS|Hero|H99|2}}, the escort destroyers {{HMS|Dulverton|L63|2}} and {{HMS|Hurworth|L28|2}}, and a Sunderland flying boat of No. 47 Squadron RAF based in Port Said, attacked and badly damaged the {{GS|U-559}}. The crew of the ''U-559'' abandoned their vessel, with 7 dead and 38 survivors.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.uboat.net/boats/u559.htm|title=The Type VIIC boat U-559|last=Helgason|first=Guðmundur|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net|accessdate=30 October 2012}}</ref>
Fasson and Able Seaman Colin Grazier, along with NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown, jumped from the ''Petard''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sebag-Montefiore|first=Hugh|title=Enigma: The Battle for the Code|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2000|isbn=0-471-49035-0|location=United Kingdom/United States|pages=286}}</ref> to the deck of the ''U-559'' and entered the sinking submarine, which had water pouring in through seacocks left open by the Germans. Working in complete darkness, fully aware that the submarine could sink without warning at any time, Fasson and Grazier located documents, which Brown carried up to men in a whaler. They continued searching until the submarine suddenly foundered – "sank like a stone," {{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} drowning Fasson and Grazier; Brown survived. Fasson and Grazier were subsequently awarded the George Cross, while Brown received the George Medal. The awards were published in the ''London Gazette'' on 14 September 1943.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36169 |date=14 September 1943 |page=4073 }}</ref>
The codebooks that Fasson, Grazier, and Brown retrieved were immensely valuable to the code-breakers at Bletchley Park, who had been unable to read U-boat Enigma for ten months. The captured material allowed them to read the cyphers for several weeks, and to break U-boat Enigma thereafter.<ref name="discovertheborders">{{cite web |url= http://www.discovertheborders.co.uk/the-fasson-enigma.html |title=The Fasson Enigma |work=discovertheborders.co.uk |year=2012 |accessdate=30 October 2012}}</ref>
==Memorials== Fasson is commemorated with plaques at Bedrule Kirk and the Jedburgh British Legion Club, while his George Cross is held by the Scottish National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle.<ref name="discovertheborders"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fasson, Francis Anthony Blair}} Category:1913 births Category:1942 deaths Category:Military personnel from the Scottish Borders Category:People educated at Jedburgh Grammar School Category:British recipients of the George Cross Category:Royal Navy recipients of the George Cross Category:Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II Category:Royal Navy officers Category:Royal Navy officers of World War II Category:World War II espionage Category:People educated at Stubbington House School Category:Graduates of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Category:Deaths by drowning Category:Scottish naval personnel