Michael Faber was born in 1915, the son of Alfred and Edith Faber of Mayfair, London. He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet and was promoted Midshipman on 1 September 1933 and was appointed to the cruiser HMS SHROPSHIRE on 10 October 1933. On 25 March 1934, he was appointed to the cruiser HMS DURBAN. He next served in the cruiser HMS ACHILLES from 26 April 1935. He was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 January 1936, and he was confirmed in the rank of Sub Lieutenant on 1 November 1936.

He was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for submarines on 30 September 1937 and to HMS STARFISH as Third Hand on 20 May 1938. Promotion to Lieutenant followed on 16 December 1938. He joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS FORTH on 20 June 1939 and then HMS TAKU as 3rd Hand on 15 October 1939. He received a Mention in Despatches (London Gazette of 28 June 1940). He next served in HMS H33 as First Lieutenant on 11 July 1940 and in HMS CACHALOT as First Lieutenant from 15 September 1940.

Michael Faber was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for his Commanding Officers Qualifying Course on 12 October 1941 and, on successful completion of the course, to HMS H33 in command on 4 March 1942. He was then appointed to HMS P48 in command on 10 May 1942.

On 23 December 1942, P48 sailed from Malta for her sixth war patrol having been ordered to patrol in the Gulf of Tunis. On 25 December 1942, at 1125, two Italian transports escorted by two torpedo boats, Ardito and Ardente, were on passage from Palermo to Tunis. An escorting aircraft fired bursts of machine gun fire in the sea to signal the presence of a submarine. The Ardente established contact and conducted several attacks, dropping a total of 48 depth charges. An oil patch was seen in position 37°17’N, 10°32’E. The submarine was claimed sunk. P48 failed to return to Malta and was reported as lost with all hands.