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Auction: 15002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 51

A Fine Second War 1944 'Bomb Disposal' G.M. to Lieutenant G.H. Gaylor, Royal Engineers, For Clearing An Unexploded Bomb Under Water, Beneath The Wreckage of the Railway Bridge at Hasselt, Across The Albert Canal; Having Survived the War, He Was Killed at A Mine Clearance in Scotland, 7.8.1946
George Medal, G.VI.R. (Lieut. George H. Gaylor, R.E.), letter 'a' of surname officially corrected, very fine

G.M. London Gazette 29.4.1945 Lieutenant George Henry Gaylor, Corps of Royal Engineers (166510) (Cardiff)
'For conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner.'

The Recommendation states: 'On the 6th November, 1944, at Hasselt, reconstruction of the demolished railway bridge was stopped owing to the presence of an unexploded bomb under 30 ft. of water in the Albert Canal. Lieutenant Gaylor went down and located the bomb half buried in the mud underneath torn railway lines, steel girders and wreckage. To do so he had to squeeze himself between damaged girders at the risk of tearing his diving suit or fouling the air or lifeline and so being trapped. In spite of Nil visibility he identified the tail fuze by touch, found it was in a dangerous condition, and since technical equipment could not be used water, he unscrewed the fuze by hand. Due to mud and the damaged condition of the nose, Lieutenant Gaylor was unable to ascertain whether the bomb had a nose fuze, but, acting on the assumption that it had, he again went down and guided the bomb through the wreckage, inch by inch, as it was hauled out, knowing that any movement of the bomb might set if off. Lieutenant Gaylor's brave conduct enabled work to be resumed on the vital railway and canal communications.'

Lieutenant George Henry Gaylor, G.M., born Stevenage, 1916; commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Engineers, 18.1.1941; Lieutenant 25.5.1941; served during the Second War with 23 Bomb Disposal Company R.E.; after his gallantry at the Albert Canal he transferred to 11 Bomb Disposal Company; he was killed, along with Corporal J. Fordyce and Sapper A. Hurley, when attending to a mine clearance at Rattray Head, northeast Scotland, 7.8.1946; Lieutenant Gaylor is buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London.

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Sold for
£3,800