"Andrews" ZJ 1/940 1

THE LONDON GAZETTE Published by Authority Registered as a newspaper

For Table of Contents see last page TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER, 1940

CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.

St. Jame's Palace, S.W.1, 17th September, 1940.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following Awards: - The Medal of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry: -

Lieutenant Edward Womersley Reyonalds, 101 and 103 Bomb Disposal Sections, R.E.

On 17th August, 1940, a 250 kilo bomb fell in a garden amongst some council houses; it did not explode and Lieut. Reyonlds was sent to investigate. On digging down 17 ft., he found that it had a new type of fuse about which no instructions had at that time been received. Finding that traffic was suspended on the road and that the inhabitants had had to be cleared out of their houses, he removed the fuse and found that it had a clockwork delayed action. The risk that he took was great, and merit of his action was the greater for lack of exact knowledge of the type of fuse he was dealing with. On 3rd September, 1940. – A large bomb fell in a street just before midnight on September 1st, 1940; it wrecked the front of some business premises and was supposed to have exploded. About 16.30 hours on the 3rd September, a 250 kilo unexploded bomb was found in the debris. Lieut. Reynolds was at once summoned, found that it had a clock-work fuse which was still ticking and according to orders applied to Regional H.Q. for instructions suggesting that the sooner it was dealt with the better, and stating that he was willing to do so forthwith. In view of the damage to property that would have been caused by the explosion of such a large bomb in such a congested area and especially of the possible effect on the public morale per-mission was given and Lieut. Reyonlds im-mediately extracted the fuse and rendered the bomb inoperative. The risk in doing this was very considerable.

Second Lieutenant Wallace Launcelot Andrews, 22/23 Bomb Disposal Sections, Royal Engineers.

On 26th August, 1940, Second Lieutenant Andrews was in charge of No. 22 and 23 Bomb Disposal Sections, Royal Engineers. While trying to extract the fuse of a bomb in order to forward it to the D.S.R., some difficulty was experienced. After withdraw-ing it about 11/2 inches the fuse dropped back into position actuated by what appeared to