Fisher, John Malcolm, elder son of the Rev. William Fisher, of Norwood, by Anna Maria Isabella, daughter of John Edward Hunt, of Douglas, Isle of Man; b. June 7, 1890; adm. Sept. 24, 1903 (H); left July 1908; 2nd Lieut. 5th Batt. York and Lancaster Regt. Aug. 14, 1914; temp. Lieut. April 1915; Capt. June 1, 1916; served on the western front April 13, 1915; - Nov. 11, 1918, on the staff Feb. 1, 1917 - Nov. 11, 1918; mentioned in despatches L. G. March 15, 1916; Dec. 11, 1917 and July 5, 1919; M.C. March 15, 1916; D.S.O. June 3, 1919; Major Feb. 16, 1928; Lieut.-Col. Feb. 16, 1933; T. D.; Brevet Col. Feb. 16, 1937; (Middle East) L. G. Dec. 15, 1942 and June 24, 1943; m. Nov. 13, 1919, Alice, youngest daughter of Sir William James Bell, D. L., of Godstone, Surrey; d. on active service in North Africa, May 18, 1943.
John Malcolm Fisher was born at Leeds, Yorkshire on the 7th of June 1890 the elder son of the Reverend William Fisher and Anna Maria Isabella (nee Hunt) Fisher of 24, Lunham Road, Norwood in Surrey, later of Kingham Rectory, Oxford. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from the 24th of September 1903 to July 1908.
Following the outbreak of the Great War he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment on the 14th of August 1914 and he joined them at their base at Rotherham. The Battalion was designated as the 1/5th Battalion and on the 13th of April 1915 they left York in two trains bound for Folkestone where they embarked later in the day and arrived at Boulogne at 11.30pm that night. They disembarked at 5am the following morning. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 9th of October 1915.
At 5.25am on the 19th of December 1915 the Battalion was in trenches near the canal bank at Ypres when the Germans began shelling their positions with heavy artillery fire. This lasted until 9am and continued intermittently throughout the day. Gas was released on the Battalion’s positions but no enemy infantry attack followed. Those of the enemy who showed themselves were shot by the Battalion snipers. Although the trenches only suffered minor damage from the shelling, three officers and six other ranks were killed by the gas with a further four officers and eighty seven other ranks suffering from the effects of it. Five other ranks were killed by bullets and shell fire with one officer and twenty three other ranks wounded. That night they were relieved by the 1/7th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding) and they marched to a rest camp.
For his actions that day John Fisher was one of three officers from the Battalion to be awarded the Military Cross, which was announced by the War Office on the 15th of March 1916. The citation for his award read: - “For conspicuous good service. During an enemy attack, when his senior Officer was incapacitated, he assumed command of his battalion, organised the ammunition supply, arranged for the relief for the night, sent in clear reports to Headquarters, and carried on generally in a manner to inspire confidence.”
He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 1st of June 1916 and to Captain on the 26th of June 1917, with precedence from the 1st of June 1916. He was appointed as a General Staff Officer 2nd Grade in early 1918 and served on the Staff of 49th Division.
He was Mentioned in Despatches on three occasions, which were announced in the London Gazette of the 15th of March 1916, the 11th of December 1917 and of the 5th of July 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the King’s Birthday Honours List of the 3rd of June 1919. He applied for his medals on the 5th of January 1920.
He was married at All Souls Church, Marylebone on the 13th of November 1919 to Ailie (nee Bell) of Faygate, Sussex. Following the end of the war he remained in his old Battalion and was promoted to Major on the 16th of February 1928. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on the 16th of February 1933 when he was appointed to the command of his Battalion. He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration of the Territorial Army in February 1934 for his services in training anti-aircraft personnel. He was promoted to Brevet Colonel on the 16th of February 1937 and continued to the command his Battalion when it became the 67th (The York and Lancaster Regiment) Heavy Anti Aircraft Brigade, Royal Artillery. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) in the King’s Birthday Honours List, which was announced by St James’s Palace on the 9th of June 1938.
During the Second World War he was appointed to the command of the 13th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment and went with them to the Middle East in October 1940 where he saw action in Libya and at the siege of Tobruk. He served on the General Staff from April 1943 where he was involved in planning the defence of Egypt and was twice Mentioned in Despatches.
On the 18th of May 1943, John Fisher was at Tripoli and was entering his car when he died suddenly from heart failure.
He was created as a Commander of the British Empire, which was announced by St James’ Palace on the 14th of October 1943. The recommendation for the award read as follows: - “During the period under review Col. Fisher in addition to his normal A.A. defence duties which he has always carried out most efficiently, has had to organise the special precautions connected with the French Fleet. This for various reasons has required clear thinking, and decisions and untiring energy, all of which Col. Fisher has displayed. During the period of Eighth Army operating he maintained an efficient AA cover over Alexandria Harbour for which he received the thanks of and congratulations of RN.”
A friend wrote of him: - “We all knew him very well in Alexandria and were delighted when he came back the other day as our Brigadier. He will be greatly missed as he was not only our Brigade Commander but a warm friend to every one of us.”
He is buried at Tripoli War Cemetery Plot 6, Row G, Grave 12.
