Dick Moore (GC)
| Richard Valentine Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 February 1916 London, England |
| Died | 25 April 2003 (aged 87) Warrington, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Unit | HMS President |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
George Cross Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Other work | Scientist with the Atomic Energy Authority |
Richard Valentine Moore, GC, CBE (14 February 1916 – 25 April 2003), known as Dick Moore, was an officer of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who was awarded the George Cross for the "great gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty" he showed in rendering mines safe during the Blitz of 1940 despite having "no practical training'"
Moore was born in London in 1916 and educated at the Strand School and at University of London, where he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for the County of London Electricity Supply Company from 1936 until war was declared in September 1939.
Commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1939, he joined the Naval Unexploded Bomb Department from HMS Effingham, serving as an assistant torpedo officer.
In 1940, the Luftwaffe began bombing British ports. They also mined the approaches to the ports with non-contact mines, triggered by a ship's magnetic field, which were difficult to detect and "sweep" using conventional methods.
On the night of 16/17 September 1940, the Luftwaffe dropped 25 parachute mines on to London, causing widespread damage. Seventeen failed to explode and Sub-Lieutenant Moore and Lieutenant Commander Dick Ryan of the Royal Navy's Torpedo and Mining School at Portsmouth volunteered to deal with them. Though the first mine had been initially ticking it was silent when the two men arrived to examine it.
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Wikipedia