- SURNAME
Whittle
- FORENAME
Harold
- UNIT
Special Boat Squadron (M Detachment)
- RANK
Sergeant
- NUMBER
1073686
- AWARD
George Medal
- PLACE
Simi 1943
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
miner in civilian life
died 1967
CITATION:
George Medal : This NCO displayed gallantry, leadership and initiative of the highest order during operations by X Det SBS, in DODECANESE 13 Sep 43, to 18 Oct 43. On 8Oct 43, at 1300 BRITISH HQ received a direct hit from a Stuke raid. Two ORs were trapped alive under the debris. WHITTLE supervised rescue operations, working like a man possessed himself. He worked for a period of 27 hrs without rest, exposing himself to extreme personal risk. He continued work throughout two further raids when a bomb falling anywhere in slightest vicinity would have brought the remnants of the building upon him. He was a source of inspiration to all the workers and the credit that the two were released alive (unfortunately both died later) was almost entirely due to his direction, initiative, in making do with the crude tools at his disposal and his entire disregard of personal risk. He himself made and shored up a passage under debris to one man.
WEB LINKS:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7379295
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