A memorial Anglican chapel to honour the 2435 men and officers who lost their lives at sea in the First and Second World Wars was built at Flinders Naval Depot, Crib Point in the early 1950s. It was designed by Anglican Diocesan architect, Louis R. Williams and held an almost-complete cycle of stained glass designed by David Taylor Kellock (1913-1988) of Ballarat, possibly made by a Melbourne manufacturer. A window in memory of Rear Admiral Henry James Feakes was one of a series of single lights made for the baptistry in rocognition of his long naval career and his appointment as Captain-Superintendent Flinders Naval Depot 1925-27.
Henry James Feakes (1876-1950) was born in London and entered Thames Nautical Training Training College as a cadet. Despite his good results he was overlooked as a midshipman in the Royal Navy although he continued to train with the Reserve while qualifying as an officer in the merchant navy. He was accepted into the fledgling Commonwealth Naval Forces in Australia in 1906. The early days of the service lacked ships, equipment and personnel but Sub-Lieutenant Feakes remained with the service and was promoted Lieutenant, undertaking the passage of HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Yarra to Australia as the former's lieutenant-in-command. He served in the Pacific, East Indies and China and later became senior naval officer of the Burmese coastal patrol during war time. He returned to Australia and in October 1917 was promoted to commander, Royal Australian Nav where he was appointed to various ships before his promotion to Captain on 1 July 1921. His lack of senior service within the Royal Navy prevented further promotion under that banner, however he held a succession of senior commands in the RAN including Flinders Naval Depot, Australian Naval representative in London and then Second Member of the Naval Board. He retired in 1933 as a Rear Admiral and he was among those warning the Australian and British authorities of Japanese expansion. He died only the day before he was to take part in Sydney's Anzac march on 25 April 1950.
References & Acknowledgements
JVP Goldrick, 'Feakes, Henry James (1876-1950)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 8, MUP, 1981; Sydney Morning Herald, 27 July 1931, p.10; 25 April 1950, p.3;
With thanks to HMAS Cerberus Museum curator Toni Munday
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