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Bombardier George Halewood
Unit : No.2 Forward Observation Unit
Army No. : 921274
Awards : Military Medal
George Halewood was a Territorial Army soldier mobilized at the beginning of the war. He joined the Airborne Forces and completed parachute course 133 at R.A.F. Ringway, 9th - 23rd September 1944. His instructors comments: "Good performer, quietly confident". He served with No 2. Forward Observer Unit, Royal Artillery, in Normandy, the Ardennes, at the Rhine Crossing and in the Far East. He was awarded the Military Medal for his part in the Rhine Crossing operation; his citation reads:
On 25th March 1945 Bombardier Halewood was the wireless operator to an artillery Forward Observation Officer. The Observation Post was in a small house which was violently counter attacked by the enemy. Repeated hits by 88mm guns were made on the house, which was set ablaze. Bombardier Halewood ignored this fact and remained coolly at his post until he had completed sending out the fire orders for a divisional artillery.
When finally forced out of the house by the flames he continued to work the set in the open. The fact that he was without any cover against heavy mortar and small arms fire, and that a shell burst almost at his feet was not allowed to interfere in the least degree with his rapid and accurate transmission of orders. Had he faltered in his duty or paused to take cover, the enemy counter attack might well have succeeded.
The exemplary devotion to duty and steadiness under fire of this NCO was responsible for the passing of a complicated series of fire orders without delay and without mistake at a critical stage of the operation.
In 1947, he joined the 13th Battalion (T.A.) The Parachute Regiment and became Company Sergeant Major. The Battalion was later amalgamated with the 12th Battalion to become the 12th/13th Battalion, which in turn was amalgamated with the 17th Battalion to become 4 PARA (V). He was commissioned whilst with 4 PARA and commanded "A" Company for several years, finally becoming responsible for Recruit Training. George was described as a good soldier, hard but fair, who never expected anyone to do what he would not attempt himself.
In civil life, he was a Director of a tool hire firm formed by Keith Harrison, another ex-Officer of the 12th/13th (T.A.) Battalion. George died in December 1985 after a short illness.
My thanks to Bob Hilton for this account, based on George Halewood's obituary in the Pegasus Journal, April 1986.