Leonard Henry Harrison
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Leonard Henry Harrison (1906 - 1989) was awarded the George Cross for “for acts of exceptional coolness and courage on several occasions” in defusing unexploded German bombs during World War Two. Having joined the RAF in 1922, he served as civilian instructor at an R.A.F. armament training school in 1940 and was an authority on explosive fuse systems. He used this expertise to render many munitions safe, including a bomb with a previously unknown fuse which had lodged in the deck of a grain carrier which struggled into Immingham Docks which he defused with Flt Lt John Dowland. He also defused a device on a fishing boat in the Humber. His award was published in the London Gazette and was also covered by the Saturday News Chronicle of January 4th, 1941[1].
He was part of a scheme to booby trap captured fuses and smuggle them into German ammunition stores so that bombs would exploded when being dropped, so destroying the enemy aircraft. The Germans discovered the scheme but were forced to destroy large numbers of fuses as a precaution. He served as honorary treasurer of the Victoria and George Cross Association.
Harrison had retired with the rank of Wing Commander in 1949, but remained in civilian appointments with the Air Ministry until 1970. He died on 15 July 1989[2].
