Leonard Harrison (GC)

Leonard Harrison
Born (1905-01-06)6 January 1905
Devonport, Plymouth
Died 15 July 1989(1989-07-15) (aged 84)
Bexley, London
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service 1922–1949
Rank Wing Commander
Battles/wars Second World War
Awards George Cross

Leonard Henry Harrison (6 January 1905[1] – 15 July 1989) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer who was awarded the George Cross "for acts of exceptional coolness and courage on several occasions"[2] in defusing unexploded German bombs during the Second World War.[3][4] Having joined the RAF in 1922, he served as Civilian Armament Instructor at a RAF 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 that had lodged in the deck of a grain carrier which struggled into Immingham Docks, which he defused with Flight Lieutenant John Noel 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 4 January 1941.[2]

Early life and career

Born in Devonport, he was in the RAF for 12 years before entering the reserve.

Second World War

In 1941, he was given a commission on probation as an acting pilot officer.[4] This was subsequently confirmed and he was made up to flying officer in May 1942. Promotion to the rank of flight lieutenant followed in 1944.

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 Cross and George Cross Association.

Harrison 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,[5] leaving a son, Leonard Jnr, and a daughter, Pat.

References

  1. ↑ http://airmonument.co.uk/page.php?72
  2. 1 2 "BOMB EXPERT WINS GEORGE CROSS", News Chronicle, 4 January 1941 (National Archives transcript.)
  3. ↑ http://www.marionhebblethwaite.co.uk/gcindex.htm
  4. 1 2 London Gazette issue 35241, page 4576. Published on 8 August 1941.
  5. ↑ Leonard Harrison GC Bomb Disposal Pioneer, Bomb Disposal Association website. (Archived from the original www.rafbdhistory.co.uk/new_page_4.htm on 19 August 2013.)

Further reading

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