Docco's Diary | 80th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to old scholar

2025 is the 80th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to old scholar Lieutenant Commander George Gosse for exceptional bravery in defusing enemy mines in World War II.

The School is proud of the war service given by Lt. George Gosse, R.N.V.R. His award of the George Cross was for his bravery in dealing with enemy mines under water at great risk to his life in 1945.

It is interesting that we have had six generations of the Gosse family at St Peter’s College. There is a link between George Gosse and a Gosse family member at St Peter’s College in 2025. George Gosse’s cousin was Jim Gosse, who left in 1930. Jim’s son, Hamish Gosse, left in 1959. Hamish’s son, Nigel Gosse, left in 1982. Nigel’s son is in the School now.

Born in Harvey, WA, in 1912, George Gosse was educated at St Peter’s College Junior School (then “The Prep”) of St Peter’s College 1920-1925.


Image: Prep School- School House 1924. G Gosse (second row, fourth from right).

In 1926 he entered the Royal Australian Naval College as a cadet midshipman and, on graduation, was seconded to the Royal Navy. Three years later he returned to Australia and left the RAN soon after.

He was married in the St Peter’s College Chapel on 1 October 1938.

In October 1940 Gosse enlisted as an ordinary seaman in the Royal Aust Naval Volunteer Reserve and went to the UK for training. In July 1941 he joined HMS Lanka in India and worked on clearing Japanese mines from Calcutta harbour.

Image: George Gosse (via Wikipedia.org)

Back in Britain in early 1945, he volunteered for training with a special Royal Navy mine disposal unit known as the "P" parties - which turned out teams of highly skilled and superbly fit "human minesweepers" with the job of clearing captured ports of mines, often having to do the disarming under water.  

Wearing special diving suits, the "frogmen" as they were called, crawled along harbour beds, using only their sense of touch to find the enemy mines and then disarm them.

Image: George Gosse (via Wikipedia.org)

Facing him in Bremen harbour was a mine hovering a few centimetres above the muddy harbour floor.  Floating nearby was the body of a German civilian, one of many corpses littering the harbour. George Gosse made a gentle examination of the mine, confirming it was one of a new type the Germans had developed towards the end of the war. Known as an "oyster" it was a mine about which he knew little. He had not disarmed one, nor had anyone else. He decided to leave the mine alone that day but returned the next day. Ignoring advice from Germans who said the mines would explode if touched, he dived again, this time taking with him a fistful of improvised tools. Kneeling in the mud he worked by touch on the mine's firing mechanism. 20 minutes later, his steady hands lifted the primer free. A loud clang rang out from the mine and a close examination after the mine had been dragged to the quayside revealed the metallic clanging had been the firing of the detonator. Over the next 10 days he disarmed another two oyster mines. In each case the detonator fired before the mine reached the surface.

Image: George Gosse defuses a German mine at Bremen (via Wikipedia.org)

In April 1946, in London, his award of a George Cross was announced. His deeds in Bremen, Germany, in May 1945 earned him his award.

Image: The George Cross

The August 1946 St Peter’s College magazine records:

Lieut. Cmdr. George Gosse (G.C.)

The following extract has been taken from the Third Supplement to “The London Gazette” of Friday, April 26, 1946:

“The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the George Cross to Lieutenant George Gosse, R.A.N.V.R. (North Adelaide, South Australia).

“On May 8, 1945, divers searching Ubersee Hafen, Bremen, reported the presence of a mine which from their description appeared to be an entirely new type. Lieutenant Gosse immediately dived and verified the fact that it was a G.D. pressure type, which was commonly known as ‘oyster’.

As it was necessary that this type of mine should be recovered intact, it was decided to attempt to render safe the mine under water, and on the following day, May 9, Lieutenant Gosse dived on it again. Using improvised tools, he eventually succeeded in removing the primer, which was followed by a loud metallic crash. The mine was eventually lifted to the quayside, when it was found that the detonator had fired immediately the primer had been removed. During the subsequent ten days, Lieutenant Gosse rendered safe two similar types of mines which were lying in close proximity to shipping, and in each instance the detonator fired before the mine reached the surface.

“This form of operation called for an exceptionally high standard of personal courage, and also a high degree of skill. The conditions were always arduous and were combined with the presence of known mines in the docks, and with all forms of underwater obstruction — human corpses — which, together with lack of visibility, produced a set of conditions which would deter the boldest.

“This officer displayed courage and zeal far in excess of the usual course of duty, and contributed greatly to the success of a most difficult and important operation.”

George Gosse was promoted to acting Lieutenant Commander on 30 September 1945 and demobilized on 20 March 1946.

In 1953 Gosse was chosen as a member of the coronation contingent which went to England in HMAS Sydney.

He died in South Australia on 31 December 1964.

Image: Medals - George Cross : Lieutenant G Gosse, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve

The George 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. Three days after his GC was promulgated, 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. He joked, "George Gosse, George Cross. Sounds like a test of sobriety”.

Researched and written by David Docwra
David Docwra retired from St Peter’s College in December 2015 after 37 years’ service and is fondly remembered by many as a dedicated teacher, a committed coach of squash, cricket and soccer, and most especially as a passionate Head of Hawkes House for 21 years. David remains connected to St Peter’s College and regularly provides historical articles for the St Peter’s Old Collegians’ newsletters. In 2023 David was made an Honorary Member of the St Peter’s Old Collegians’ Association.