Lt J.G. Allen. GM.

Posted in the London Gazette on the 5th May 1944.

Awarded for work at Salerno.

Lt J.G. Allen spent a week in Salerno, he defuzed and removed seven British bombs with long delay fuses and anti handling devices.These bombs were causing problems for military operations as they were next to the Salerno- Naples road and railway. They could not be destroyed in situ or be allowed to explode due to the damage to to routes of supply it would cause. The normal mode of operation for this type of bomb would have been to destroy in situ.

The week previous to these actions Lt Allen and and a section of 17 Bomb Disposal Company, cleared two Barracks of booby traps after 25 American soldiers were killed.

2009340 Sgt Arthur James Ashmore. GM.

No 3 Bomb Disposal Company.

Posted in the London Gazette on the 19th November 1943.

Awarded for work at Grimsby.

Sgt Ashmore was one of seven people awarded the George Medal ffor work between the 13.14th June 1943, whilst clearing SD2's (Butterfly Bombs).

He dealt with one SD2 which was located under a railway wagon, the cargo of which was valuable. This SD2 was sandbagged in such a way that when detonated the blast caused no damage to wagon and goods. Using the same method he disposed of another SD2 close to a signal box, without putting it out of action.

Ten day's later, a SD2 was located over a false ceiling, hanging by its drogues. To get to this device he had to rig tackle from the chimneystack to pull it clear. It in fact jammed and Sgt Ashmore had to climb back on the roof to free it. On climbing down and pulling it, the SD2 exploded.

2126849 Sgt William Henry Bailey.

No 7 Bomb Disposal Company.

Posted in the London Gazette on thr 10th March 1944.

Awarded for work in Plymouth.

Sgt Bailey assisted Lt Grey, (also awarded the GM), on removing a 500kg bomb dropped on the night of 11/12 August 1943. This bomb landed tail first on the corner of Efford Road, Plymouth. This road was the main route from Plymouth to Exeter,  this bomb effectively sealed of Plymouth from the East, as all other routes were closed due to bomb craters or other unevploded bombs.

The bomb was partially uncovered and on investigation the fuze was found to be a ticking number 17. As it was partially uncovered the decision was made and passed down that an attempt to remove it was to be made. The task was made even more daunting by the facts, that another bomb from this stick had exploded at 06:oo that same morning. Also the bomb had partly demolished a building and and the remains were overhanging it, in fact this was roughly a one hundred weight piece of concrete,  only held by a couple of pieces of metal reinforcement. Due to the fragile nature of the concrete shoring was not possible so work commenced with the possibility of it becoming detached and falling on those below working on the bomb.

Finally there was another danger added to the equation, three feet away was a fractured gas main.

The task took four hours, with Sgt Bailey working in shifts with Lt Gray, as the effects of the gas was felt upon them. Between them they cleared debris to get to the fuse, the bomb being unsecure threatened to move at any time. The 50 fuze was immunised, the bomb loaded onto a truck, with the 17 fuse still ticking and taken to a bomb dump where it exploded some hours later.

123013 Capt Alexander George Bainbridge.

Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal.

Posted in the London Gazette on the 30th September 1941.

Awarded for work in London.

Monk Street, Woolwich, Southern Outfall Sewer, September 1940and High Street, Plumstead, October 1940.

More details to be added when available.