George Ward Gunn
| George Ward Gunn | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 26 July 1912 England |
| Died | 21 November 1941 Sidi Rezegh, Libya |
| Buried at | Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Libya |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  British Army |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Cross |
George Ward Gunn VC MC (26 July 1912 - 21 November 1941) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
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[edit] Life
Gunn was born in Neston, Cheshire, and a former pupil of Sedbergh School and Mostyn House.
He was 29 years old, and a second lieutenant in the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
During the British attempt to relieve the siege of Tobruk the Germans counter attacked near the airfield of Sidi Rezegh. Gunn was the commander of A Troop of J Battery. The battery was equipped with anti-tank guns mounted portee[1]
On 21 November 1941 at Sidi Rezegh, Libya, an attack by 60 German tanks was countered by the four anti-tank guns ("A Troop") under the command of Second Lieutenant Gunn.
During the engagement this officer drove from gun to gun in an unarmoured vehicle, encouraging his men, and when three of his guns were destroyed and the crew of the fourth, except the sergeant, were all dead or disabled, he took charge of this remaining weapon, the portee of which was alight. There was danger of the flames exploding the ammunition with which the portee was loaded, but he managed to fire 50 rounds from the QF 2 pounder gun and set two enemy tanks on fire before he himself was killed by being shot through the head.
After he was killed, the battery commander Major Pinney, who had aided Ward by dealing with the ammunition fire, took over the gun and continued the action. As a result of the battery's actions, it was given the honour title "Sidi Rezegh".
A memorial to him stands in his old school, Sedbergh, and at Mostyn House commemorating his brave deeds. In his home town of Neston there is a Street named after him, Gunn Grove, and a memorial in the Parish Church, (St Mary & St Helen's).[2]
[edit] The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich, England.
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ When a gun was loaded onto the back of a truck and fired from there instead of on the ground, it was described as en portee
- ^ http://www.carlscam.com/warmem/gunn.htm
- Bibliography
- John Laffin (1997). British VCs of World War 2.
- David Harvey (1999). Monuments to Courage.
- Nora Buzzell (1997). The Register of the Victoria Cross. This England. ISBN 0-906324-27-0.
- Allied Tank Destroyers, Vanguard 10, Osprey Publishing
