George Goodman (Royal Navy officer)

George Herbert Goodman
George Herbert Goodman
Birth name	George Herbert Goodman
Born	25 November 1900; Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Died	31 May 1945 (aged 44); Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Buried	The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Unit	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; HMS President; HMS Vernon
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	George Cross; Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Lieutenant-Commander George Herbert Goodman GC MBE (1900 - 1945)^[1]^[2] of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve was awarded the George Cross for the "great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty" he showed on 15 January 1942 in defusing an Italian circling torpedo.

15 January 1942

Goodman was the first person to defuse the Italian self-destructing torpedo which had beached itself east of Alexandria. He was assisted in this action by PO William B Filer RN and painter Archibald John Russell RN, both of whom received the George Medal.

Naval career

Goodman was attached to HMS Vernon, HMS President and HMS Nile (Alexandria) and rendered many unexploded devices safe during the war in Britain and North Africa.

George Cross citation

Notice of his award appeared in the London Gazette on 15 September 1942.^[3]

The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the George Cross for great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty to: Temporary Lieutenant George Herbert Goodman, M.B.E., R.N.V.R.
— London Gazette

Death

Gooman died when a booby-trap exploded in a house in Rotterdam, in May 1945.^[4]

References

^ CWGC entry
^ "The George Cross at Sea, 1939-45". Naval-history.net. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
^ London Gazette 15 September 1942
^ Find A Grave

[1] CWGC entry

[2] "The George Cross at Sea, 1939-45". Naval-history.net. Retrieved 14 August 2014.

[3] London Gazette 15 September 1942

[4] Find A Grave

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