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George Gosse
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George Gosse
Lieutenant Commander George Gosse, GC (16 February 1912 – 31 December 1964) 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. Gosse served in the Royal Australian Navy between 1926 and 1933, reaching the rank of sub-lieutenant and receiving training and experience with the British Royal Navy.
In 1940, he joined the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RANVR) for service in World War II. Quickly sent back to the United Kingdom, he served on several shore establishments before being sent to British India as a naval mine clearance specialist. He 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. He 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.
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. His medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial.
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 née Davidson. He was a grandson of the explorer William Gosse and a nephew of the businessman Sir James Hay Gosse. His 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. Muriel died in 1920; George and his younger sister were then cared for by their paternal grandmother.
Gosse was schooled at St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia, from 1920 to 1925, and entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RAN College) at Jervis Bay in 1926, aged 13. According to a family member he was "so like his father, gay, feckless, fearless and gregarious". While at the RAN College he excelled at field hockey, and upon graduation in 1930 received the prize for engineering theory. Beginning in January 1930 he served aboard both Australian County-class heavy cruisers, first HMAS Australia then HMAS Canberra. He was promoted to midshipman in May of that year. In July 1931, he sailed for the United Kingdom for further training with the British Royal Navy.
His first assignment was to the Mediterranean Fleet, aboard the Revenge-class super-dreadnought battleship HMS Ramillies. He also attended an air course on the Courageous-class aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, and was familiarised with the employment of destroyers during a stint aboard HMS Worcester. In September 1932 he was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant, and entered the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The social and sporting temptations of London beckoned, and Gosse's studies suffered. After he failed the examination for lieutenant, he was returned to Australia and his naval career ended on 30 October 1933. Gosse then worked at odd jobs for a few years, and on 1 October 1938 he married Diana Skottowe at his old school chapel. The couple had two daughters.
On 1 September 1939, the day World War II began, Gosse attempted to rejoin the RAN, but was rebuffed. Gosse managed to enlist as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve on 21 October 1940. He initially underwent training at the shore establishments HMAS Torrens and HMAS Cerberus, before sailing for the UK in December. After serving at the shore establishment HMS Collingwood, in April 1941 he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant while posted to the shore establishment HMS King Alfred. He next served at the shore establishment HMS President, then in December of that year he was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy shore establishment HMIS Hooghly in Calcutta, British India, as a naval mine disposal officer. In February 1942 he was promoted to provisional lieutenant. In August he was transferred to the shore establishment HMS Lanka. This was followed by a posting to the shore establishment HMS Braganza in Bombay in October 1942. Although his 1940 annual report had described him as "below average, for whom it was doubtful a niche could be found", two years later his report indicated that he was reliable and keen, and displayed ingenuity. When faced with difficulties, he was always cheerful, and was "a daring character" who was very interested in mines.
Transferred back to the UK in November 1944, Gosse was posted to the shore establishment HMS Vernon at Brixham, Devon, which was the European port clearance diving base for the Royal Navy. Clearance diving teams were responsible for removing naval mines from British waters, and from the waters of captured ports on the European mainland. He brought a Japanese mine back with him to the UK, as he considered it would be of use at HMS Vernon. According to his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, he was a bit of a "law unto himself" in this period, but was fascinated with mechanical devices and exhibited inventiveness. He qualified as a shallow-water diver in January 1945.
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George Gosse
Lieutenant Commander George Gosse, GC (16 February 1912 – 31 December 1964) 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. Gosse served in the Royal Australian Navy between 1926 and 1933, reaching the rank of sub-lieutenant and receiving training and experience with the British Royal Navy.
In 1940, he joined the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RANVR) for service in World War II. Quickly sent back to the United Kingdom, he served on several shore establishments before being sent to British India as a naval mine clearance specialist. He 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. He 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.
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. His medal set is displayed in the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial.
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 née Davidson. He was a grandson of the explorer William Gosse and a nephew of the businessman Sir James Hay Gosse. His 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. Muriel died in 1920; George and his younger sister were then cared for by their paternal grandmother.
Gosse was schooled at St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia, from 1920 to 1925, and entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RAN College) at Jervis Bay in 1926, aged 13. According to a family member he was "so like his father, gay, feckless, fearless and gregarious". While at the RAN College he excelled at field hockey, and upon graduation in 1930 received the prize for engineering theory. Beginning in January 1930 he served aboard both Australian County-class heavy cruisers, first HMAS Australia then HMAS Canberra. He was promoted to midshipman in May of that year. In July 1931, he sailed for the United Kingdom for further training with the British Royal Navy.
His first assignment was to the Mediterranean Fleet, aboard the Revenge-class super-dreadnought battleship HMS Ramillies. He also attended an air course on the Courageous-class aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, and was familiarised with the employment of destroyers during a stint aboard HMS Worcester. In September 1932 he was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant, and entered the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The social and sporting temptations of London beckoned, and Gosse's studies suffered. After he failed the examination for lieutenant, he was returned to Australia and his naval career ended on 30 October 1933. Gosse then worked at odd jobs for a few years, and on 1 October 1938 he married Diana Skottowe at his old school chapel. The couple had two daughters.
On 1 September 1939, the day World War II began, Gosse attempted to rejoin the RAN, but was rebuffed. Gosse managed to enlist as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve on 21 October 1940. He initially underwent training at the shore establishments HMAS Torrens and HMAS Cerberus, before sailing for the UK in December. After serving at the shore establishment HMS Collingwood, in April 1941 he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant while posted to the shore establishment HMS King Alfred. He next served at the shore establishment HMS President, then in December of that year he was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy shore establishment HMIS Hooghly in Calcutta, British India, as a naval mine disposal officer. In February 1942 he was promoted to provisional lieutenant. In August he was transferred to the shore establishment HMS Lanka. This was followed by a posting to the shore establishment HMS Braganza in Bombay in October 1942. Although his 1940 annual report had described him as "below average, for whom it was doubtful a niche could be found", two years later his report indicated that he was reliable and keen, and displayed ingenuity. When faced with difficulties, he was always cheerful, and was "a daring character" who was very interested in mines.
Transferred back to the UK in November 1944, Gosse was posted to the shore establishment HMS Vernon at Brixham, Devon, which was the European port clearance diving base for the Royal Navy. Clearance diving teams were responsible for removing naval mines from British waters, and from the waters of captured ports on the European mainland. He brought a Japanese mine back with him to the UK, as he considered it would be of use at HMS Vernon. According to his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, he was a bit of a "law unto himself" in this period, but was fascinated with mechanical devices and exhibited inventiveness. He qualified as a shallow-water diver in January 1945.
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