- SURNAME
Easterby
- FORENAME
Philip Septimus
- UNIT
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
- RANK
T/Captain (MBE), Major (GM)
- NUMBER
337192
- AWARD
Member of the Order of the British Empire, George Medal
- PLACE
Bomb Disposal (MBE), Cyprus 1965 (GM)
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
London Gazette 38933, 2nd June 1950, Page 2819 (MBE)
London Gazette 43579, 16th February 1965, Page 1753 (GM)
CITATION:
George Medal : In the early afternoon of Tuesday, 20th October 1964, Major Easterby was hurriedly called by a representative of the United Nations Forces in Cyprus to examine a parcel on the veranda floor of a Post Office in Nicosia. The parcel had a time pencil protruding from it and might well have exploded at any moment.
On his arrival, Major Easterby confirmed from visual observation that the protrusion from the parcel was a time pencil.
Major Easterby who had to deal with a large number of booby traps and bombs of varied manufacture during the Cyprus emergency is very well
aware of the danger involved in neutralising them. In spite of this and the fact that he had identified a time pencil but had no knowledge as to how much time was left before the pencil would actuate any explosive he calmly and coolly and with very great courage removed the time pencil and its attached detonator from the parcel.
In order to be sure that there were no further booby traps he bravely opened the parcel and found that it contained a number of high explosive demolition blocks together with a quantity of steel rod pieces. He then fully neutralised the bomb.
This operation took approximately an hour to carry out, throughout which time Major Easterby never ceased to be aware of the danger he was facing, but he was also well aware of the damage that would be caused to others if such a bomb was not immediately neutralised.
This occasion is typical of that displayed by him when dealing with numerous other incidents during the Cyprus emergency. His conspicuous bravery and outstanding devotion to duty has been an inspiration to all in the United Nations Forces in Cyprus, his colleagues and the local population.
Source : LG43579
On his arrival, Major Easterby confirmed from visual observation that the protrusion from the parcel was a time pencil.
Major Easterby who had to deal with a large number of booby traps and bombs of varied manufacture during the Cyprus emergency is very well
aware of the danger involved in neutralising them. In spite of this and the fact that he had identified a time pencil but had no knowledge as to how much time was left before the pencil would actuate any explosive he calmly and coolly and with very great courage removed the time pencil and its attached detonator from the parcel.
In order to be sure that there were no further booby traps he bravely opened the parcel and found that it contained a number of high explosive demolition blocks together with a quantity of steel rod pieces. He then fully neutralised the bomb.
This operation took approximately an hour to carry out, throughout which time Major Easterby never ceased to be aware of the danger he was facing, but he was also well aware of the damage that would be caused to others if such a bomb was not immediately neutralised.
This occasion is typical of that displayed by him when dealing with numerous other incidents during the Cyprus emergency. His conspicuous bravery and outstanding devotion to duty has been an inspiration to all in the United Nations Forces in Cyprus, his colleagues and the local population.
Source : LG43579
WEB LINKS:
• https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38933/supplement/2819 (MBE)• https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43579/page/1753 (GM)
NATIONAL ARCHIVES:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7625568 (MBE)https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8679436 (GM)
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