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Babington, John Herbert

Date of birth:
February 6th, 1911 (Tai Chow Foo, China)
Date of death:
March 24th, 1992
Nationality:
British

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant
Unit:
Bomb Disposal Team, HMS President, London, Royal Navy
Awarded on:
December 27th, 1940
Received his award for dismantling unexploded bombs in Chatman, Kent, Great Britain in 1940.

Recommendation:
"This officer has shown untiring courage in charge of bomb disposal parties, volunteering to deal with a very dangerous bomb in Chatham Dockyard. He freed the locking ring surrounding the fuse, although the presence of an anti-withdrawal device was suspected, and a R.A.F. Officer had previously lost his life in a similar operation. He was then lowered into a 16 foot pit where he tied a line to the head of the fuse. The line broke and he again went down into the pit. He then tackeled the second fuse, and failing after three attempts to remove it, directed the lifting of the bomb, which was taken away and destroyed."
George Cross
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Acting Lieutenant-Commander
Unit:
Bomb Disposal Team, HMS President, London, Royal Navy
Awarded on:
June 8th, 1943
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Citation:
"For coolness and courage in operations involving great risk to himself."

Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Medal 1953
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal

Sources