John Patton (GC)
Encyclopedia
John MacMillan Stevenson Patton, GC
, CBE
(29 August 1915- 13 May 1996) was the only Bermuda-born British person to be awarded the George Cross
He was raised in Burlington and Hamilton
, Ontario.
At the height of the Battle of Britain when the Hurricane was the principal British fighter aircraft, Lieutenant Patton was a chemical engineering officer in the 1st Battalion, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, recently arrived in Britain and based at Boxhill, near Dorking
, Surrey. On 21 September, at 8.30am when he was leading a team clearing debris at the bomb-damaged Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory at Brooklands
near Weybridge, a lone Luftwaffe Junkers Ju88 attacked the Hawker Hurricane
factory on the South-West side of Brooklands
. Two of the three bombs dropped failed to explode and, despite having no previous experience of bomb disposal, Patton soon attended the scene. One unexploded bomb was buried under part of the factory floor but another had passed through the main building and ended up on an adjacent hardstanding. Patten decided that the unexploded bomb had to be removed as soon as possible before it damaged the vital factory, so with the help of four others (including his adjutant Captain Douglas W C Cunningham and Vickers Home Guard Section Leader A H Tilyard-Burrows ), he rolled it onto a sheet of corrugated iron and secured it to the back of a 15cwt truck. While Patton sat on the tailgate of the lorry to watch over the bomb, the driver towed the bomb out onto the aerodrome where it was then rolled very carefully into an existing bomb crater where it subsequently exploded harmlessly the next morning. Patton was awarded the George Cross for his bravery (Cunningham and Tilyard-Burrows were awarded the George Medal
) and subsequently served in India and Burma fighting against the Japanese. After the war he received Canadian citizenship as a result of his participation with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was also made an Honorary Member of the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Association.
Sam Lawrence Park can be found on the western-end of Concession Street in Hamilton, Ontario. Prior to 1944, this property was the Webb Quarry. In February 1944, The City of Hamilton was given 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land for park use by Thomas Hambly Ross
, MP (Hamilton East), and his wife Olive. This park was originally named Ross Park but was renamed Patton Park in 1946, in honour of Captain John MacMillan Stevenson Patton. In 1960, the park was again renamed to honour Sam Lawrence. From 1990 to 1994, Sam Lawrence Park saw a major upgrading that included repairing stone walls, installing new walkways, lighting, site furniture, and redevelopment of the major rock gardens.
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(29 August 1915- 13 May 1996) was the only Bermuda-born British person to be awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
He was raised in Burlington and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario.
At the height of the Battle of Britain when the Hurricane was the principal British fighter aircraft, Lieutenant Patton was a chemical engineering officer in the 1st Battalion, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, recently arrived in Britain and based at Boxhill, near Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
, Surrey. On 21 September, at 8.30am when he was leading a team clearing debris at the bomb-damaged Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
near Weybridge, a lone Luftwaffe Junkers Ju88 attacked the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
factory on the South-West side of Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
. Two of the three bombs dropped failed to explode and, despite having no previous experience of bomb disposal, Patton soon attended the scene. One unexploded bomb was buried under part of the factory floor but another had passed through the main building and ended up on an adjacent hardstanding. Patten decided that the unexploded bomb had to be removed as soon as possible before it damaged the vital factory, so with the help of four others (including his adjutant Captain Douglas W C Cunningham and Vickers Home Guard Section Leader A H Tilyard-Burrows ), he rolled it onto a sheet of corrugated iron and secured it to the back of a 15cwt truck. While Patton sat on the tailgate of the lorry to watch over the bomb, the driver towed the bomb out onto the aerodrome where it was then rolled very carefully into an existing bomb crater where it subsequently exploded harmlessly the next morning. Patton was awarded the George Cross for his bravery (Cunningham and Tilyard-Burrows were awarded the George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
) and subsequently served in India and Burma fighting against the Japanese. After the war he received Canadian citizenship as a result of his participation with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was also made an Honorary Member of the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Association.
Sam Lawrence Park can be found on the western-end of Concession Street in Hamilton, Ontario. Prior to 1944, this property was the Webb Quarry. In February 1944, The City of Hamilton was given 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land for park use by Thomas Hambly Ross
Thomas Hambly Ross
Thomas Hambly Ross was a Canadian politician.Born in Woodstock, Ontario, Ross was first elected in the 1940 election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Hamilton East, receiving 47.4% of the vote and defeating Conservative incumbent Albert Brown...
, MP (Hamilton East), and his wife Olive. This park was originally named Ross Park but was renamed Patton Park in 1946, in honour of Captain John MacMillan Stevenson Patton. In 1960, the park was again renamed to honour Sam Lawrence. From 1990 to 1994, Sam Lawrence Park saw a major upgrading that included repairing stone walls, installing new walkways, lighting, site furniture, and redevelopment of the major rock gardens.
External links
- http://www.gc-database.co.uk/recipients/PattonJMS.htm