1. Lieutenant Commander George Gosse, was an Australian recipient of the George Cross, the highest award for extraordinary acts of gallantry away from the field of battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time.
25 Facts About George Gosse
1. 2.
George Gosse returned to the UK in late 1944, and in April 1945 he was given command of a naval party responsible for mine clearance in the recently captured Bremen Harbour in Germany.
3.
George Gosse displayed exceptional courage in defusing three mines under very difficult conditions between 8 and 19 May 1945, which resulted in him being awarded the George Cross.
4.
George Gosse continued to serve in the RANVR after the war, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander before retiring in 1958, and died of a heart condition in 1964.
5.
George Gosse's medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial.
6.
George Gosse was born on 16 February 1912 at Harvey, Western Australia, the elder child of William Hay Gosse, a farmer, and his wife Muriel Davidson.
7.
George Gosse was a grandson of the explorer William Gosse and a nephew of the businessman Sir James Hay Gosse.
8.
George Gosse's father had served in the 2nd South Australian Mounted Rifles in the Second Boer War in South Africa, and joined the British Army as an artillery officer in World War I He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and was killed in action in 1918.
9.
George Gosse was schooled at St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia, from 1920 to 1925, and entered the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay in 1926, aged 13.
10.
George Gosse then worked at odd jobs for a few years, and on 1 October 1938 he married Diana Skottowe at his old school chapel.
11.
On 1 September 1939, the day World War II began, George Gosse attempted to rejoin the RAN, but was rebuffed.
12.
George Gosse managed to enlist as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve on 21 October 1940.
13.
George Gosse brought a Japanese mine back with him to the UK, as he considered it would be of use at HMS Vernon.
14.
About 18:00 the next day, George Gosse examined the mine by touch, as the visibility was so poor that his waterproof torch was of no use.
15.
George Gosse was promoted to acting lieutenant commander on 30 September 1945 and was demobilised on 20 March 1946.
16.
On 26 April 1946, Gosse's award of the George Cross was promulgated in The London Gazette.
17.
The George Gosse Cross was the highest award for extraordinary acts of gallantry away from the field of battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time.
18.
Three days after his GC was promulgated, George Gosse was visited at home by a journalist from The Advertiser daily newspaper and was surprised to learn he was to receive an award for doing something he enjoyed so much.
19.
George Gosse continued to serve in the RANVR and was substantively promoted to lieutenant commander on 30 June 1955 before retiring in 1958.
20.
George Gosse remained an inventive designer, creating many useful domestic gadgets and fittings, but his interest waned once a challenge had been met.
21.
George Gosse was president of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia from 1946 to 1948.
22.
George Gosse died of a coronary occlusion at Maslin Beach on 31 December 1964, and was cremated.
23.
The Victoria Cross recipient Brigadier Sir John George Smyth wrote that Gosse "always lived right on top of the world, as though every day was his last".
24.
George Gosse is commemorated on the Returned and Services League Walls at the Centennial Park Cemetery in Pasadena, South Australia.
25.
George Gosse's medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial.