2067513 Sgt Charles Morris Cann.
8 Bomb Disposal Section.
4 Bomb Disposal Company.
Posted in the London Gazette on the 22nd January 1941.
Awarded for work at Ipswich, Suffolk on the 28th October 1940.
Sgt Cann was the first Non Commisioned Officer to defuze live bombs also he was one of the pioneers in BD work.
He under took work on parachute mines regardless of whether they had been defuzed by the Royal Navy. Whilst he was dealing with a mine in a back garden, the fuze commenced ticking. This had 17 seconds to run before exploding, therefore Cann ran for it, rumour has it that a tubby Cann managed to clear 6 garden walls before it went of, these walls were 6 feet tall, no mean feat. On the 28th October 1940, Cann was tasked with investigating a new fuze type on a small anti personel bomb. Numerous of these had been dropped in the Ipswich area. He managed to secure a complete bomb, the mechanism was a hairbreadths from triggering the device. This was dismantled and rendered safe. Previous to this a number of policemen had been injured fatally by these devices. Due to the recovery of this device, precautionary measures were implemented, saving lives.In 1945 Cann now commisioned Captain, was involved in providing BD Operatives with safe methods of clearing beach mines laid in shingle. This was done and units workinh on the beaches were issued High Pressure Water Jetting Equipment.
Sadly Cann died in 1945, not as a result of BD work but whilst having his tonsils removed, tragically his son died in 1946 whilst having the same operation
1880745 Spr John William Carter.
2 Bomb Disposal Group.
Posted in the London Gazette on the 11th March 1941.
Awarded for work in Gravesend, Kent in continual support of Lt C.H. Green.
In Gravesend, Sapper Green supported his officer on several incidents these included two 250kg bombs in a school playing field, a Flam 250 incindiary at Bowater Paper Mills, close to the River Thames and another bomb in a back garden in Dashwood Road. This last bomb was discovered with its fuze visable but so badly damaged as to be unidentifiable. Later it was found to be a no 17 Long Delay fuze, which was removed by hammer and cold chisel, standard practice at the time, the fuze fired ten minutes after removal.
2006164 Spr Stanley Chesher.
96 Bomb Disposal Section.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 17th December 1940.
His Citation reads:
The conduct of Sapper Chesher, under conditions of extraordinary difficulty and danger, has been especially meritorious. He has never allowed considerations for his personal safety to interfere with his work and no situation, however perilous, has been able to affect his nerve. He has shown himself to be as ready to face hard work as he is to meet risk and it has been found more difficult to persuade him to come out of a bomb hole than to get him to enter one. On 18 August 1940 he worked for 9 hours, stripped and up to his waist in water, in order to reach a large High Explosive delaye-action bomb which had fallen in a pond.
188309 Sgt Robert John Chester.
4 Bomb Disposal Company.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 28th October 1941.
Awarded for three incidents:
Harold Wood, Essex, August 1940.
Railway Station, Hornchurch, Essex, September 1940.
Warley near Brentwood, Essex, October 1940.
Further details to be added when found.
Lt Michael .A. Clinton.
22 Bomb Disposal Company.
George Medal and Bar.
George Medal. Awarded for work in Romford, Essex.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 17th February 1942.
1. Based in Colchester,Clinton was tasked with immunising and removing a 250kg bomb in Romford. This was fuzed with a no 17, the fuze pocket was damaged and the fuze could not be removed. The bomb had to be moved as disposal in situ was not acceptable. Whilst being lifted the fuze became active and ticking was heard, thankfully it stopped. But for how long was uncertain. After the bomb was lowered onto a truck, Clinton himself drove it away, to a area where it would cause no damage, this was completed before it exploded.
2. On the 14th March 1941, Clinton located and uncovered a 250kg bomb. This had two fuzes, a normal 50 but a new version 17A, delayed action. This wass possibly the first of these new fuzes to be discovered. Clinton took the decision to remove it for research. Due to the position of the bomb the fuze was underneath the bomb. Disregarding all safety precautions Clinton, removed by fiuzes bt hand in torchlight.
Major General Taylor, commented on Clintons actions, stating that he had accepted the risk of certain death, with sustained courage and complete disregard to personal safety. At this time a Stethoscope could be used to hear if the bfuze was ticking, but there was no equipment to stop the clock. Also there could have been a booby trap under the 17A fuze to stop it falling into enemy hands for reasearch.
For both these incident Lt M.A. Clinton was awarded the George Medal.
Bar to GM. Awarded for work in Essex.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 17th August 1943.
Due to a raid at Sisted on the 6th March 1943 Clinton was despatched and found 21 S.D.2's (Butterfly Bombs). Some were buried 8 to 10 inches into the ground others were found on the surface. All were fitted with the type 70 (B) fuzes, anti handling. The surface bombs were detonated by having a piece of string attached and being pulled. Those buried had the earth around themcleared till expolsive could be put in contact with them, then detonated.
Ont the 7th March 1943, Clinto then disposed of 8 more West Thurrock and at Thames Haven oil refinery 10 more. These were fitted with the No 67 fuze, which was a clock work delay set for up to 30 minutes. Three of these at Thames Haven had to be moved as they had come to rest under oil pipes.
For these incidents Clinton recieved his second George Medal. Only two officers were given this honour.
Platoon Officer Reg .E. Cooke. MBE.
Home Guard.
Auxiliary Bomb Disposal Unit.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 11 March 1941.
Awarded for work in a factory at Birmingham.
Cookes citation reads:
Platoon Officer R.E. Cooke, of the Home Guard, went to deal with a 250kg bomb which fell on the factory in which he worked on 28th October 1940. When it was reached it was found to be ticking. The bomb had now been there for fourty eight hours and from experience, it was known that the bomb could explode at any time. An attempt was made to remove the fuze, but it failed and he withdrew to consider the problem. In view of the importance of the factory it was decided to attack the fuze for the second time. This time he took a crow bar with him. In the end, it needed three people to extract the ticking fuze. This time they were partially successful, but only in pulling the fuze part way out of the bomb. It was then decided to fllod the shaft and hope the water would stop the fuze. ASpparently it did and the bomb was later safely removed.
2nd LT R.H. Lee was also awarded the George Medal for this incident.
Note: It is not well known that many large factories had their own BD units. These were there in case the regular BD units were unavailable. These units were called Auxiliary BD Units and were part of the Home Guard. they however, wore RE cap badges and the treasured bomb badge on their sleeves. There training was from the local Regular BD Officers. There are numerous mentions of these units digging up and immunising bombs in their factories.
Sgt J. Cooke. BEM
Bomb Disposal Unit (UK)
Gilber and Ellice Islands.
October 1965 to May 1966.
Major Qualtrough and Sgt J. Cooke BEM, were tasked with a most hazardous overseas task. Intially on there way to Betio Island, they were to carry out a reconnaisance on Penang, of abandoned Japanese mine and bomb dumps. Part of Penang had been cleared in the 1950's, however nine storage tunnels and hiden pits were discovered and contained a vast collection of mines and shells, many oozing explosives. Work went on in Penang till November 1965, when both men set of for Betio.
The majority of explosives on Betio was found to be in fifty collapsed bunkers. Qualtrough and Cooke's official task was to, clear the bunkers by hand and sea dump the contents, re-inter any body parts found and finally give the island a clearance sweep using mine detectors, a doubting task. A preliminary reconnaissance was undertaken on the 30th November 1965, fourty two bunkers were located, some gun sites, others command posts and bomb stores. The collapsed bunkers contained shells for 203, 152, 157 and 76.2 mm calibre, also present were mines bombs and other ammunition. Work commenced on the 3rd December, locals were employed for the task alongside fifteen prisoners provided by the Chief Police Officer. By 19th January 1966 al bar one bunker was clear. The ammunition removed was in poor condition, some so badly deteriorated that it gave of toxic fumes. The local work force however were uninterested in safety often removing the explosive at night for private use.
The final bunker was the most difficult, as it had suffered several direct hits through the war. Ecavation began on 29th December 1965 but on 3rd February work ceased as the risks were to great, 20.3 tons had by now been removed. Sea dumping continued till 3 March 1966. In total over 100 tons of explosives were cleared from Betio, however much more remained.
Both Major Qualtrough and Sgt Cooke were later awarded the George Medal.
Capt D.W. Cunnington.
1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion.
Royal Canadian Engineers.
Placed in the London Gazette on the 17th December 1940.
Awarded for an incident at Weybridge.
At Weybridge Hawker Aircraft Factory, on the 21st September 1940, at 10:30 in the morning three bombs were dropped, two exploded with causing slight damage, the third penetrated the roof passed through a wall and came to a halt on a concrete driveway, outside the assembling shed. If this bomb had exploded it would have caused damage both to building and aircraft that was irrepairable.
The 1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion stationed nearby, were asked for assitance, Lt Patten later followed by Cunnington looked at the bomb and towed it away to a safer area, where little damage could be caused if it exploded. It exploded later in the morning.
Lt Patten wa awarded the George Cross and Cat Cunninghton the George Medal for showing complete disregard for his personal safety.
