Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Corporal

Unit:

Corps of Royal Engineers

Awarded on:

January 14th, 1944

Citation:
"In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East."

LG 36327/263

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

Corps of Royal Engineers

Awarded on:

November 9th, 1945

Recommendation:
"At Bari on 9th April 1945, the S.S. Charles Henderson, with some 2500 tons of bombs exploded whist being discharged at No. 14 berth. The force of the explosion, which occurred in the after hatches, forced the fore end of the ship through the water until it rested at an angle of about 30 degrees in a partly submerged condition some ten feet from the quay, which was covered in debris. A fire was burning on this forward section. The Fire Fighting Service was not able to cope with the fire effectively from the quay and Sergeant McGee secured a ladder, placed it across the water gap, and got a hose on board. Sergeant McGee was the first man on board the burning ship and Sergeant Dalgarno and Sergeant Hodgson quickly followed his lead. The dock water was studded with patches of burning oil and debris and there was a petrol ship and three ships containing ammunition in the immediate vicinity on which fires were raging. Sergeant McGee directed water from the hose onto the fire although he knew that No. 1 hatch contained an undischarged quantity of 500lb. bombs; as a stevedore he fully comprehended the danger of these exploding. The three Sergeants then heard cries for help from below. Without hesitation they descended the hold ladder into the lower hold of No. 1 and, with assistance, which by that time had arrived, succeeded in extricating two injured Italian stevedores who were still alive. Their efforts were successful in getting each of them strapped vertically onto a wicker stretcher, which was handled by ropes up to the sloping deck and then lowered to the quay. Their courage and initiative in getting to the rest of the fire undoubtedly prevented the explosion of the bombs in No. 1 hold, which apart from the certain death of the two Italian labourers would have caused serious casualties and immensely damaged the efforts being made to control the major fires from raging. Sergeant McGhee was the instigator and organiser of the joint action – although this does not diminish the courage of Sergeant Dalgarno and Sergeant Hodgson, who promptly and voluntarily followed his lead. Sergeant Dalgarno’s and Hodgson’s efforts materially assisted in putting out the explosion of the bombs below, which would have lead to further serious casualties and would have stopped the efforts going on all around to put out the fires raging."

WO 373/69/707
LG 37341/546

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)