Under Development.  Contributions and corrections welcome.

 

NOTES

AWARD ABBREVIATIONS

OTHER ABBREVIATIONS

1 Killed on duty

2 Award not for RMS or BD

3 Reason for award unknown

VC: Victoria Cross
GC:
George Cross
CBE: Commander of the Order of the British Empire
DSO: Distinguished Service Order
OBE: Officer of the Order of the British Empire
MBE: Member of the Oder of the British Empire

DSC: Distinguished Service Cross

MC: Military Cross

CGM: Conspicuous Gallantry Medal

GM: George Medal
DSM: Distinguished Service Medal

BEM: British Empire Medal (now superseded by MBE)

MID: Mention in Despatches
Commend'n: King's Commendation for Brave Conduct

B&MD: Bomb & Mine Disposal
BD:
Bomb Disposal
BSO:
Bomb Safety Officer
LCOCU:
Landing Craft Obstacle Clearance Unit
RMS:
Rendering Mines Safe

 

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

NAME

RANK/RATE

UNIT

DATE
GAZETTED

AWARD

REMARKS

B

BABINGTON
John Herbert

Sub Lt (Sp) RNVR (Later Lt Cdr)

HMS President (London)
HMS Volcano (Ravenglass)

27 Dec 40
8 Jun 43

GC
OBE

BD and RMS - See below.

GC awarded for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Sub-Lieutenant Babington had experimented with the dismantling of all types of bombs and had worked on the first suspended parachute magnetic mines. He volunteered to deal with a very dangerous bomb in Chatham dockyard in the autumn of 1940 where an anti-withdrawal device was suspected - an RAF officer had shortly before lost his life in trying to deal with a bomb of this description. Sub-Lieutenant Babington was lowered into a 16 ft pit where he tied a line to the head of the fuse but the line broke and he again went into the pit. He had to make three attempts to remove the fuse before he finally directed the lifting of the bomb which was then taken away. At that time the Bomb Disposal Authorities had very little knowledge of the mechanism of these mines and much was learnt from this incident.

 

Appointed OBE for coolness and courage in operations involving great risk to himself.

BAILEY
William (Bill)

Electrical Lt RNVR

HMS Cormorant (Gibraltar)
NP 1502C (Courseulles)
‘P’ Party 1574

29 Dec 42

13 Mar 45

15 May 45

GM

DSC

Bar to GM

Port Clearance - GM awarded for underwater work in Med.  With Crabb during Italian Chariot raids on Gibraltar.

 

DSC awarded for Normandy assault Jun-Sep 1944.

 

Bar to GM awarded for exceptional gallantry, skill and great devotion to duty, often in close proximity to the enemy, during mine-searching and clearance operations in the ports of Normandy and the Low Countries.

BAKER
Sidney

Sub Lt RNVR

HMS Vernon

14 Jan 41

GM

RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Helped Cummins and Chapple recover first German acoustic mine from Ogmore, Porthcawl.

BALDWIN1
Charles Edward

P/J56017

CPO

HMS Vernon

23 Dec 39

DSM

RMS - DSM awarded for great courage and skill in securing and stripping live enemy mines without regard for own safety.  Presentation made by King George VI at HMS Vernon 19 Dec 1939 for rendering safe first German influence mine at Shoeburyness 23 Nov 1939.

Helped Ouvry, Lewis and Vearncombe render safe first Type A magnetic mine and Glenny and Vearncombe render safe second Type A magnetic mine at Shoeburyness 25 Nov 39.  Killed along with course of 14 RNVR Sub Lieutenants on board drifter while recovering loose British moored mines in Forth early 1940.

BALSDON
James

Lt DSM RN (Rtd)

HMS Defiance (Plymouth)

8 Jul 41

GM

RMS - GM awarded  for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine disposal Western Channel to Mar 41.

BALSON
Albert
P/211943

CPO

HMS Lynx (Dover)

Unknown

31 Jan 41
20 Jan 42

BEM
Bar to BEM

Diving - BEM awarded for gallantry in diving work under enemy air attacks. Dived on depot ship HMS Sandhurst at Dover.

 

Bar to BEM awarded for gallantry in diving work under enemy air attacks.

BARBER
Alfred Joseph

P/JX387404

AB

‘P’ Party 1575

30 Apr 46

MID

Port Clearance - MID awarded for good services in Mine Clearance and Mine Disposal Operations in NW Europe immediately before the close of the war with Germany and in the months which followed.

BARHAM
Harold Leslie
T/Lt RNVR HMS Nile (Alexandria, Egypt) 30 Jan 45 GM B&MD - GM awarded for gallantry and devotion to duty.

BARKER
Wesley

C/J103625

PO

HMS Dido but temporarily seconded to Army.

14 Dec 43

GM

B&MD - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Disposed of parachute mine on land in a minefield at Mersa Matruh, Egypt in Sep 43.  Medals on display at the Eyemouth museum.

BARNES
Charles

C/JX183429

Ord Seaman

HMS President (London)?

20 Dec 40

MID

RMS - MID awarded for courage, coolness and devotion to duty.

BARTON
John William
C/K64333
Stoker 1st Class HMS Beaver (Grimsby) 13 Mar 45 BEM RMS - BEM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.
BASKERVILLE
Thomas Leonard
C/J18204
CPO (TGM) HMS Vernon 11 Jul 40 BEM B&MD - BEM awarded in 1940 King's Birthday Honours in recognition of services during the War.

On 23 Jan 1941, Baskerville was in the Bridlington Bay area between Flamborough Head and Spurn Head dealing with yet another washed-up mine. After successfully defuzing the mine, he put the fuze and detonator in his jacket pocket to take back to HMS Vernon.  He made his way through a local town, where his escorting Police Officer stopped to question someone, at which point Baskerville slipped on the icy ground and fell upon the fuze and detonator in his pocket.  There was an explosion and the tragically brave Thomas Baskerville was killed aged 44.

BEADLE
John Edmund Townsend

C/J42261

CPO

HMS Vernon

20 Dec 40

GM

RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Assisted Sub Lt Danckwerts in dealing with many mines in London during 1940.

BEAVIS
Arthur Bernard

P/JX370273

AB

‘P’ Party 1574

30 Apr 46

BEM

Port Clearance - BEM awarded for valuable services in connection with
mine clearance and mine disposal in NW Europe immediately before the close of the war with Germany and in the months which followed.

BELL
David Morrison

P/JX144608

A/PO

HMS Cormorant (Gibraltar)

25 Jan 44

GM

RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine disposal Gibraltar Jul to Aug 43.

BELL
Thomas

D/X20685A

A/LS

HMS Ariguani

29 Jun 43

BEM

Diving - BEM awarded for courage and skill in dangerous diving operations Gibraltar 1942. 

BENNETT
Arthur Thomas

P/J29122

CPO

Unknown

11 Mar 41

GM

B&MD - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Conducted mine disposal on land in 1940.

BENNETT
William Norman

Lt RNVR

HMS Skirmisher (Milford Haven)

16 Jun 42

GM

BD - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine Disposal Wales Dec 41.

BEREY (Shown in London Gazette as BERREY)
Conrad Leonard (Len)

P/MX49845

PO Cook

HMS Fabius (Taranto)

19 Dec 44

DSM

Chariot Diver - DSM awarded for courage, perseverance and devotion to duty in an attack by human torpedo at Spezia harbour on the night of 21st June 1944.

BERGIUS
Adam Kennedy
Sub Lt RNVR HMS Bonaventure (Depot Ship) for XE-4 (Miniature Submarine) 18 Dec 45 DSC X-Craft Diver - DSC awarded for gallantry, perseverance and outstanding skill in successfully cutting the Hong Kong-Saigon and Singapore-Saigon cables on 31st July, 1945. The operation was performed in water much deeper than expected and hampered by tide and rough weather.

BEVAN
William Henry

P/SSX12136

 

AB

AB

HMS Vernon

HMS Vernon

27 Jun 41
9 Jun 42

GM
Bar to GM

BD and RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine Disposal Manchester Dec 40.

 

Bar to GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.

Assisted Sub Lt Wright deal with mine suspended over stage of London Palladium Theatre 11 May 41.

BILLINGTON
Robert Edward

A/Lt RNVR

Torpedoes and Mining Department, Admiralty [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty).

Bomb and Mine Disposal Section, Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining, re-designated 01.02.1946: Bomb and Mine Disposal Section, Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty)

29 Aug 44
27 Mar 45

DSC
Bar to DSC

LCOCUs - DSC awarded for gallantry, skill, determination and undaunted devotion to duty during the initial landings on the coast of Normandy.  Participated in beach clearance.

 

Bar to DSC awarded for distinguished service and gallantry during the invasion of the South of France.  

BILLMAN
Harold Leon

Lt (Sp) RANVR

Mobile Explosives Investigation Unit No. 1

26 Jun 45
6 Nov 45

MID
DSC

B&MD - MID awarded for Mine Clearance Aug to Sep 43

DSC - Lieutenant Billman landed on Panoan Island on 20th October, 1944, with the assault forces. He displayed bravery, devotion to duty and exceptional skill over a period of four months in dealing with Japanese mines and unexploded bombs in the clearance operations in the Philippines.

BINKS
Rial Dennis

Cdr RNR

HMS Pyramus (Orkney)

29 Sep 42

OBE

RMS - Appointed OBE for rendering mines safe.

BIRKETT
Kenneth Jack

Lt (Sp) RNVR

Torpedo & Mining Dept, HMS Vernon

18 Apr 44

MBE

B&MD - 

BLOXSOME
Robert Charles

C/J28834

CPO

Torpedo School, HMS Pembroke (Chatham)

24 Apr 40

DSM

RMS - DSM awarded for courage and skill in securing and stripping live enemy mines without regard for his own safety.

BLUNDON
Ronald

P/JX220982

LS

‘P’ Party 1574

30 Apr 46

MID

Port Clearance - MID awarded for good services in Mine Clearance and Mine Disposal Operations in NW Europe immediately before the close of the war with Germany and in the months which followed.

BOULTON
Alfred Ernest

P/J31974

CPO

CPO

HMS President (London)?

Unknown

20 Dec 40
1 Jul 41

MID
BEM

RMS - MID awarded for courage, coolness and devotion to duty. 

BEM awarded for distinguished service.

BOYCE
Wilson

P/JX198295

Ord Seaman

HMS Vernon?

23 Jan 41

GM

RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine disposal Birmingham Oct 40.

BRAMWELL
Frederick William

Lt RNVR

Lt RNVR

HMT Northern Isles
MTB 675

1 Jan 41
21 Dec 43

MID2
DSC2

Chariot Diver - MID awarded New Years Honours 1941.

DSC awarded for Askvoll attack.

BRATLEY1
John Wesley

Gunner (T) RN

Gunner (T) RN

HMS Elissa (Messina)

HMS Elissa (Messina)

4 May 43
8 Feb 44

MID
MID

Port Clearance - First MID awarded for mine disposal.

Second MID awarded posthumously for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty in clearing Messina harbour of enemy demolition charges Aug 43.

BREWSTER
William Reid (Jock)

Sub Lt RNVR

FV Arthur

Not Gazetted. (Invested 6 Apr 43)

DSO

Chariot Diver - Participated in first Chariot attempt to sink the Tirpitz 50 miles up Trondheimsfjord in Oct 1942.  During rough weather, both chariots were lost from underneath their carrying fishing boat 'Arthur' which subsequently sank.  All personnel attempted to make their escape across Sweden.

BRICKEL
Douglas Talbot Sydney

Lt (Sp) RNVR

Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs [later: Bomb Disposal] [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty)

3 Oct 44

Commend'n

BD - Commendation awarded for bravery and devotion to duty in helping to salvage a cargo of bombs after an air attack. (SS Malakand at Huskisson Dock, Liverpool 2 May 41).

BRIDGE
John

Lt (Sp) RNVR

Bomb Safety Officer, Plymouth [Unexploded Bombs Department, Admiralty [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty)]
HMS President (London)

HMS Elissa (Messina)

Bomb and Mine Disposal Section, Torpedoes and Mining Department, Admiralty [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty)

27 Dec 40
28 Oct 41
27 Jun 41
16 Jun 44

GM
Bar to GM
Commend'n
GC

B&MD and Port Clearance - See below.

GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Participated in bomb disposal work at Devonport (Devon) on 7 Sep 40 when he was a Prob Temporary Sub-Lt RNVR, assigned as a Bomb Safety Officer at Plymouth.

 

Commendation awarded for brave conduct and devotion to duty as BSO Plymouth.

 

Bar to GM (first recipient of a Bar to the GM in the armed services) awarded for great gallantry and devotion to duty.  Conducted bomb disposal work at Graving Docks, Falmouth, Cornwall on 17 May 41. Presented at same time as GC while he was a Temporary Lt RNVR assigned as Bomb Safety Officer at Plymouth.

 

GC awarded for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. In Aug 43, Messina Harbour, Italy, needed to be cleared of depth charges. All the members of a bomb disposal party (Sub Lt Firminger and four of his team) had been killed or wounded on 23 Aug 43 by six of these charges when Lieutenant Bridge took over the operation with the greatest enthusiasm, combined with skill and ingenuity. After a total of 28 dives they were all cleared, including two which were recovered with their previously unknown mechanisms intact. In addition, Lieutenant Bridge rendered safe or discredited a further 207 depth charges, above or below water, with all types of firing mechanisms. As a result of the efforts of this officer and his party 31 Aug to 2 Sep 43, Messina Harbour was declared open the day before the Allied assault on the Italian mainland, which proved to be of the utmost value during follow-up operations.

BRIGGS
Keith May

PO/X3095T

Sgt RM

LCOCU No.12

29 Aug 44

DSM

LCOCUs - Rendered safe a hundred charges single handed at Normandy.

BRITNELL
Paul Roland Frank
Lt RNVR

Department of Unexploded Bomb Disposal, Admiralty [HMS President] (for duty outside Admiralty)

HMS Vernon (for duty at HMS Vernon (D) (base for Port Parties, Brixham))

CO ‘P’ Party 1574

30 Apr 46 GM Port Clearance – See below
GM awarded for exceptional courage, skill and- zeal in rendering safe a mine found in Europa Hafen at Bremen.  On 5 Aug 45, he dived on a mine which appeared to be a GC type. When it was eventually raised, the description was confirmed and it contained an acoustic unit. The water was approximately 30 feet at the time of the dive and visibility was nil. The mine was buried nose first in the mud at an angle of about 45 degrees to the horizontal and unfortunately the primer pocket was on the underside which made it necessary for Lt Britnell to dig a hole about 2 feet square and 18 inches deep in order to get at the primer pocket with his rendering-safe tools. The primer proved very difficult to remove but on the sixth attempt using acoustic procedure Lt Britnell finally extracted it. In addition to this operation Lt Britnell also rendered safe three other mines during the operation, one GC type with acoustic unit, and two GD mines fitted with pressure and magnetic units.
BROOKE-SMITH
Francis Haffey
Sub Lt RNR (Later Lt Cdr) HMS Drake 27 Jun 41 GC BD - See below.
GC awarded for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. In Dec 40 an unexploded bomb fell inside the deck locker alongside the engine-room on the fire-float Firefly in the Manchester Ship Canal. When Sub-Lt Brooke-Smith arrived to deal with the weapon, he found it was firmly wedged, but by using a rope he was able to pull the mine slightly clear of the engine-room casing and then, lying on the sloping engine casing, head downwards, he managed to place a safety gag in the bomb-fuse. The clock of the fuse then started to tick, but he stayed where he was and finally managed to stop it before the inevitable explosion occurred. He had dealt successfully with many unexploded bombs, but this was the first time that he had used a safety gag on a bomb-fuse and he had to do so in most difficult circumstances as he was compelled to work by touch, without being able to see the bomb fuse at all, and his chances of succeeding and of escaping with his life were regarded as very small. Also dealt with mine in allotments 50 yds from Short & Masons aircraft factory in Macdonald Rd, London E17.
Later participated in training divers for Suez Canal clearance.
BROOKS
Joe
Sub Lt RN
(later Lt Cdr)
X-24
(Midget submarine)
13 Jun 44 DSC Clearance Diving Officer - Awarded DSC as XO of X-24 for attack on Laksevaag floating dock at Bergen (Operation GUIDANCE) in April 1944. 
BROOM
Albert Leslie
Lt RNVR Torpedo & Mining Dept, HMS Vernon 13 Mar 45 GM Bomb and Mine Disposal.  Disarmed 36 mines at captured airfield Melsbrook, Belgium.
BROWN
Albert Frank
P/MX98517
Ord Mechanic HM Chariot Smasher 6 Mar 45 DSM Chariot Diver - Phuket attack. Petty Officer Smith and Ord Mech Brown found that they were unable to attach their charge to the hull of the Volpi, due to the deep draught and lack of space underneath the hull and then the barnacle-encrusted hull itself. Brown, therefore, had to place the charge inside the ship's engine-room, a job which took twenty extra minutes. Both crews returned to the Trenchant and were able to watch as their targets exploded.
BROWN
David Humes (Jock)
AB FV Arthur Not Gazetted MID Chariot Diver - Participated in first Chariot attempt to sink the Tirpitz 50 miles up Trondheim Fjord in Oct 1942.  During rough weather, both chariots were lost from underneath their carrying fishing boat 'Arthur' which subsequently sank.  All personnel attempted to make their escape across Sweden.

BROWN
Ernest

P/JX322308

AB ‘P’ Party 1571 15 May 45 MID Port Clearance - MID awarded for bravery and skill in mine-clearing operations in enemy-held ports during the invasion of Normandy and the Low Countries.
BRUCE-JONES
Douglas Walter
P/JX428462
Ord Seaman ‘P’ Party 1574 15 May 45 BEM Port Clearance - BEM awarded for gallantry and skill in mine-searching and clearing operations in the ports of Normandy and of the Low Countries following the invasion of France.
BRYDEN
Gilbert Stewart
A/Lt RNVR NP 1503 15 May 45 MBE BD, B&MD and Port Clearance - Appointed MBE for gallant and distinguished service in mine-clearing operations in enemy-held ports during the invasion of Normandy and the Low Countries.
BUCKLEY
Robin Cecil Burton
Lt RN (later Lt Cdr) HMS York 27 Jan 42 GM B&MD - GM awarded for coolness and courage. Disposed of explosive motor boat Suda Bay, Crete on 27th May 1941.
BULL
William Robert

?

Cdr RN

?
HMS Badger (Harwich)
?
4 Oct 40
DSM
DSC
RMS - DSC awarded for initiative, resource and total disregard for danger in dealing with a live enemy mine.

 

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