FOR GALLANTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 2

FOR GALLANTRY

t ♦ , CIVILIAN AND MILITARY AWARDS (■British Official Wireless] ) (Received sth December, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, 4th December. The George Cross, highest civilian - decoration for gallantry, was awarded . Arthur Merriman, part time experimental officer attached to the research section at the Ministry of Supply, ac- | cording to a Gazette notice. Merriman received the cross for “conspicuous bravery in connection with bomb disr posal,” and it is understood that on , several occasions he dismantled delayed action bombs that had fallen in important streets and buildings. . Among the military awards is the ’ D. 5.0., to the 23-year-old Pilot Officer Geoffrey Cheshire. The officer was „ carrying out photographing operations at Cologne when a shell splinter de_ ‘ tonated a flare just about to be dropped” t Although fire followed and a blinding explosion carried away a considerable part of the fuselage, Pilot Officer Che- , shire managed to regain control of the t plane which lost considerable height and was subject to intense A A fire - He successfully piloted the damaged ‘ aircraft to its base. The wireless operator of the aero- . Sergeant Henry Davidson, received the D.F.M. Although so severely injured by the explosion that he was 3 unable to see, Sergeant Davidson per- - suaded the rear-gunner to guide his burned fingers to the wireless control, g w hich he continued to operate until he realised the wireless had been put ! ° ut of action. In spite of intense suf fenng Sergeant Davidson consistently refused to be landed at a station nearer than his own base. f \ __ „