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 Order 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BEM: British Empire Medal (now superseded by MBE)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

G

GARMORY
Frederick
P/SSX23907
AB HMS Vernon 27 Jun 41 GM RMS - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.
GIDDEN
Ernest Oliver
Lt RNVR (Later Lt Cdr) HMS President (London) 14 Jan 41
9 Jun 42
28 Sep 43
GM
GC
OBE
RMS and B&MD - See below.
GM awarded for mine disposal Harlesden, London Sep 40.

GC awarded for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  On 17 Apr 41 an unexploded mine dropped on Hungerford Bridge, London. Some trains and many sleepers were on fire and the Charing Cross Hotel was burning in the background. The underground trains had to be stopped and many buildings evacuated, including the War Office. Lt Gidden arrived at the bridge shortly after dawn and found the mine lying across a live electric wire, with the bomb fuse primer release mechanism face downwards. The bomb had first to be turned over before the fuse, which was of the highly sensitive clockwork variety and likely to be detonated by any movement, could be tackled. At last Lt Gidden managed to turn it over, prised a lump of molten metal from the surface of the fuse and tried to insert a gag to stop the mechanism. The gag would not fit properly owing to the molten metal and the state of the mine's outer casing, and Lt Gidden had to work at it with a hammer and chisel. This operation was eventually completed after 6 hours.

Appointed OBE for great bravery and steadfast devotion to duty in mine disposal.

GILL
Albert Victor
C/J32094
AB HMS Watchful (Great Yarmouth) 20 Oct 42 Commend'n RMS - Commendation awarded for coolness and devotion to duty. Mine Disposal Nore Dec 41 to Feb 42.
GLENNY
John Edward Maxwell
Lt Cdr RN (Later Captain) Mining Department
HMS Vernon
23 Dec 39
4 Oct 40
DSC
DSO
RMS - See below.
DSC 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 second German influence mine at Shoeburyness 25 Nov 1939.

First Lieutenant (Number One) of HMS Vernon's Enemy Mining Section in early part of war.  Rendered safe second Type A magnetic mine with CPO Baldwin and AB Vearncombe at Shoeburyness 25 Nov 39, first to render safe Type B magnetic mine with Lt Armitage in Thames Estuary 7 Dec 39, first to render safe conical explosive sweep obstructor with Lt Hodges at Dover 6 Apr 40, first to recover Type S magnetic mine on board captured enemy U-boat supply trawler Julius Pickenpack at Scapa Flow 29 Apr 40 and first to render safe new variant Type D magnetic mine in Liverpool Bay 21 Jul 40.

GODWIN
James George
P/J62796
CPO HMS President (London) 20 Dec 40 MID BD - MID awarded for courage, coolness and devotion to duty.  On night of 17 September 1940, he assisted Lts Hodges and Speirs deal with two parachute mines at Hammersmith, one on railway bridge at Barnes and a fourth at Willesden. Mine at Barnes exploded injuring Hodges.  Speirs and Hodges awarded George Medals.
GOLDSWORTHY
Leon Verdi (Goldy)
Lt RANVR (Later Lt Cdr) HMS Vernon 18 Apr 44
15 Aug 44
19 Sep 44
16 Jan 45
GM
MID
GC
DSC
RMS - See below.
GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Conducted mine disposal Southampton & London Oct 43.

MID awarded for courage and undaunted devotion to duty.  Participated in mine disposal at sea in Channel Apr 44.

GC awarded for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Achieved series of underwater mine recoveries 12 Jun 43 to 10 Apr 44 including four German ground mines, three magnetic mines and one acoustic mine. On one of these occasions (13th Aug 43) he made safe a German ground mine off Sheerness. It was only the second time that such a weapon had been rendered safe under water, and it was regarded as a particularly hazardous assignment for the diver, who had no means of escape should the fuse operate. Again, on 10 Apr 44, he dealt with an especially dangerous acoustic mine near Milford Haven, successfully extracting the fuse and primer and later removing the whole mine intact.

DSC awarded for gallantry and distinguished services in the work of mine-clearance in the face of the enemy.  Conducted mine disposal Seine Bay and approaches to Cherbourg.

Transferred to the Pacific theatre in late 44, along with another mine disposal specialist, for a tour of duty with the US Navy's Mobile Explosive Investigation Unit, which involved an entirely new standard of training and identification as the Japanese weapons bore no resemblance to those of the Germans. His work involved neutralising Japanese mines and booby traps following American Invasion of Philippines and similar tasks in support of the various Australian landings in the Borneo area.

GOODMAN1
George Herbert
Lt RNVR Mining Department
HMS Vernon
HMS Nile (Alexandria)
2 Sep 41
15 Sep 42
MBE
GC
RMS - See below.
Appointed MBE for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty.  Rendered safe and stripped the first 'Sammy' mine recovered in the Eastern Med.

GC awarded  for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. De-fuzed an Italian circling torpedo on beach 11 miles east of Alexandria on 15 Jan 42 after one had killed the Torpedo Officer of HMS Medway (Lt Cdr J G S Cunningham RN - uncle of MCDOA member Tim Trounson) on 23 Sep 1940. GMs awarded simultaneously to assistants PO W. B. Filer and Painter A. J. Russell.

Killed in explosion at German mine depot in Holland on 31 May 1945.

GORE
Henry Charles
R/JX209374
PO

LCOCU No.1

6 Nov 45 DSM LCOCUs - DSM awarded for bravery, skill and great devotion to duty in the reconnaissance and destruction of unknown obstacles and mines, and in the rescue of survivors whose craft had been destroyed in a minefield, during the landings in the Baie de Cavallaire in the South of France, June-August 1945, and for similar good services in the landings in Normandy.
GOSSE
George
Lt Cdr RANVR ‘P’ Party 1571 30 Apr 46 GC RMS and Port Clearance - See below.

GC awarded for 8 May 1945, when divers searching Ubersee Hafen reported the presence of a mine which from their description appeared to be an entirely new type. Lieutenant Gosse immediately dived and verified the fact that it was a GD pressure type which was commonly known as ‘Oyster.’  As it was very necessary that this type of mine should be recovered intact it was decided to attempt to render safe the mine underwater and on the following day May 8th Lieutenant Gosse dived on it again. Using improvised tools he eventually succeeded in removing the primer which was followed by a loud metallic crash. The mine was eventually lifted on the quayside when it was found that the detonator had fired immediately the primer had been removed.  During the subsequent ten days Lieutenant Gosse rendered safe two similar types of mines which were lying in close proximity to shipping and in each instance the detonator fired before the mine reached the surface. This form of operation called for an exceptionally high standard of personal courage and also a high degree of skill. The conditions were always arduous and were combined with the presence of known mines in the docks and with all forms of underwater obstruction - human corpses - which together with lack of visibility produced a set of conditions which would deter the boldest.  This officer displayed courage and zeal far in excess of the usual course of duty and contributed greatly to the success of a most difficult and important operation.

GRANT
Percy Charles
Lt RNVR

HMS Royal Edward (Dieppe)

27 Mar 45 GM Port Clearance - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Conducted underwater clearance of hospital ship berth Avant Port, Dieppe on 12 Oct 44.
GRAY
Harry Ansell
P/J37449
AB
LS
HMS St Angelo (Malta) 7 Jul 42
20 Jun 44
Commend'n
GM
B&MD - MID awarded for skill and courage at Malta. Salvaged Italian torpedo machine.

GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine disposal Sep 42 to Sep 43.

GRAY
Thomas Archibald
A/Lt RNVR HMS Vernon
MFV 1037 (Vernon)
3 Jul 45
13 Jun 46
MBE
Commend'n
Port Clearance - Appointed MBE for minesweeping and mine recovery Aug 44 to Feb 45.

Commend'n awarded for rendering safe 99 German mines on board sunken barge in channel at Veree on North Walcheren May 45.

GREENLAND
Richard Thomas Goodwin
Lt RNVR

HMS Talbot

18 Apr 44 DSO Chariot Diver - Participated in Operation Principal attack on Italian fleet in Palermo, Sicily Jan 43.  Captured after placing charges on cruiser Ulpio Traiano, destroyer Grecale, torpedo boat Ciclone and M/V Gamma.
GRIBBEN
Robert (Jock)
P/JX153399
LS
PO

‘P’ Party 1572
HMS Tyne (Korea)

30 Apr 46
1 Jan 52
GM
MID
B&MD (Ex-Port Clearance) - GM awarded for great courage, initiative and devotion to duty on 14th Mar 45 in recovering an unexploded V1 bomb which had fallen into the Royal Sluice at Antwerp. This difficult operation was finally accomplished after many hours of strenuous work.

MID awarded in recognition of Operational Minesweeping and Bomb and Mine Disposal services New Year Honours 1952.

GRIFFITHS
Maurice Walter.
Lt RNVR (Later Lt Cdr) Mining Department
HMS Vernon
14 Jan 41 GM RMS and B&MD - GM awarded for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine Disposal London Sep 40. Participated in Suez Canal clearance May 41.
GROSS
Frank James
C/JX294480
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.
GRUNDY
John
PL/Y101726
Cpl RM NP 1747 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.
GUILE
Reuben William
C/J1326
CPO HMS Lynx (Dover) 8 Jul 41 GM RMS/BD - Awarded GM for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty. Mine Disposal Channel Mar 41.

 

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