Michael Gibson (soldier)

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 [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_gc.htm] 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 250kg 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. [ [http://www.familyresearcher.co.uk/royaleng.htm UK Family History Researcher ] at www.familyresearcher.co.uk]

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 passed away on Sunday 20th April 2008, aged 54.

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