Michael Gibson (GC)
Encyclopedia
Sergeant Michael Gibson of the 9th Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers
was posthumously awarded the George Cross
for the conspicuous gallantry he displayed on 18 October 1940 in Coventry
in defusing a large unexploded bomb. He was in charge of the operation to dig out and defuse the device when another bomb exploded nearby. The bomb he was working on then began 'hissing' and seemed likely to explode, so he sent the rest of his team to shelter and continued to defuse the device alone.
Gibson was born in 1906 and served with the Durham Light Infantry
before joining the Royal Engineers. He was killed a year later, at the age of 34, when a 250 kg bomb exploded after it had been removed by truck from the housing estate in which it had fallen. 6 other men were killed in the blast, Second Lieutenant Alexander Fraser Campbell and Sappers William Gibson, Richard Gilchrest, Jack Plumb, Ronald William Skelton and Ernest Arthur Stote.
Hazel Gibson died on Sunday 20 April 2008, aged 54.
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
was posthumously awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for the conspicuous gallantry he displayed on 18 October 1940 in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in defusing a large unexploded bomb. He was in charge of the operation to dig out and defuse the device when another bomb exploded nearby. The bomb he was working on then began 'hissing' and seemed likely to explode, so he sent the rest of his team to shelter and continued to defuse the device alone.
Gibson was born in 1906 and served with the Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
before joining the Royal Engineers. He was killed a year later, at the age of 34, when a 250 kg bomb exploded after it had been removed by truck from the housing estate in which it had fallen. 6 other men were killed in the blast, Second Lieutenant Alexander Fraser Campbell and Sappers William Gibson, Richard Gilchrest, Jack Plumb, Ronald William Skelton and Ernest Arthur Stote.
Family
Michael Gibson married Elizabeth Hardy and they both had two sons named Derek Gibson and John Gibson. John Gibson married Doreen Moore and they had five children; they are from oldest to youngest: Hazel Gibson, Doreen Gibson, Caroline Gibson, Robert Gibson and Barbera Gibson.Hazel Gibson died on Sunday 20 April 2008, aged 54.