John Noel Dowland
| John Noel Dowland GC | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 November 1914 |
| Died | 13 January 1942 (aged 27) |
| Buried at | Capuccini Naval Cemetery, Malta |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Battles/wars | World War II † |
| Awards |
 George Cross |
Squadron Leader John Noel Dowland GC (6 November 1914 – 13 January 1942) was awarded the George Cross, as was civilian armament instructor Leonard Henry Harrison, for his gallantry in defusing a bomb which had fallen on the grain ship SS Kildare in Immingham docks on 11 February 1940. The bomb proved extremely difficult to defuse as it had embedded itself at an extreme angle in the main deck. The citation, which appeared in the London Gazette on 7 January 1941, noted that he displayed the same " conspicuous courage and devotion to duty in circumstances of exceptional danger and difficulty" when defusing a bomb on a trawler in June 1940.[1]
His and Harrison's actions were the earliest to be awarded the George Cross, although Thomas Alderson's award was the first to be announced.[2][3]
He is buried in Capuccini Naval Cemetery, Malta.[4]
References
- ↑ London Gazette, 7 January 1941
- ↑ John Frayn Turner (2010). Awards of the George Cross 1940-2009. Casemate Publishers.
- ↑ Michael Ashcroft (2012). George Cross Heroes. Hachette.
- ↑ "Casualty details: Dowland, John Noel". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 7 May 2014.