- SURNAME
Hammond
- FORENAME
Philip John
- UNIT
Fleet Diving Units A and B, Royal Navy
- RANK
Chief Petty Officer (Diver)
- NUMBER
D138513P
- AWARD
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
- PLACE
Persian Gulf 1991 (Op.Granby)
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
London Gazette 52588, 28th June 1991, Page 4
CITATION:
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal : During Operation Desert Slash, Hammond was the CPO of Fleet Diving Units (FDU) A and B, embarked in RFA Sir Galahad in the Northern Arabian Gulf. He acted as a supervisor of diving operations from Gemini craft in live minefields and of a helicopter-borne Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. Not content to take a purely directing stance, he willingly put others' safety before his own by taking the leading role on many occasions in protracted night dives on live enemy ground mines to recover them for exploitation. At all times he displayed admirable calmness and great personal courage, working tirelessly to protect and direct his men, thereby instilling great confidence in their minds.
When FDUs A and B moved ashore on 5 March Hammond took a principal part in port recovery and EOD operations. He supervised and participated in the first searches of oil tankers, bunkers and buildings for booby traps, the gruesome task of recovering dead bodies, and the rendering safe of unstable live ordnance, beached mines and Improvised Explosive Devices. All this was done with his men's safety uppermost in his mind, often leading them through areas of anti-personnel mines and barbed wire to reach the objectives. Throughout this extremely dangerous operation he was a focal point of experience among the divers and his measured advice was highly prized by the Officers in Charge of the FDUs.
The conditions under which the Units operated were atrocious. With no infrastructure ashore the men subsisted in cargo containers on a jetty with no light, sanitation or potable water, in an atmosphere heavy with acrid smoke and toxic fumes from the oilfield fires burning inland, and diving in water with zero visibility due to thick oil pollution. All the time they were at risk from random gunfire from uncontrolled factions of the local population. Hammond's deep reserves of personal stamina, his ebullience and mature leadership gave much succour to the young divers in the FDUs.
When FDUs A and B moved ashore on 5 March Hammond took a principal part in port recovery and EOD operations. He supervised and participated in the first searches of oil tankers, bunkers and buildings for booby traps, the gruesome task of recovering dead bodies, and the rendering safe of unstable live ordnance, beached mines and Improvised Explosive Devices. All this was done with his men's safety uppermost in his mind, often leading them through areas of anti-personnel mines and barbed wire to reach the objectives. Throughout this extremely dangerous operation he was a focal point of experience among the divers and his measured advice was highly prized by the Officers in Charge of the FDUs.
The conditions under which the Units operated were atrocious. With no infrastructure ashore the men subsisted in cargo containers on a jetty with no light, sanitation or potable water, in an atmosphere heavy with acrid smoke and toxic fumes from the oilfield fires burning inland, and diving in water with zero visibility due to thick oil pollution. All the time they were at risk from random gunfire from uncontrolled factions of the local population. Hammond's deep reserves of personal stamina, his ebullience and mature leadership gave much succour to the young divers in the FDUs.
WEB LINKS:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52588/supplement/4
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