John Clements GC was a schoolmaster at

Sherrardswood School Sherrardswood School is an independent, coeducational school for students aged two to eighteen, located in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England. The school was founded in 1928 by Ethel Wragg. The current headmistress is Anna Wright. The current Chair ...

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

who was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

for his heroism in rescuing others from a hotel fire at the

Sappada Sappada (german: Pladen or ; in the local Southern Bavarian dialect;Dizionario Sappadino-Italian ...

Ski Resort in northeast Italy on 12 April 1976. Clements died in the blaze. He was born on 25 August 1953, in Codicote,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

. Notice of his posthumous award appeared in ''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...

'' of 7 December 1976. His story was one of those chosen for a series of posters which appeared on the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

. Codicote Football Club's ground was named the John Clements Memorial Ground in his honour.Who was John Clements
Codicote F.C.

References

1953 births 1976 deaths British recipients of the George Cross People from Codicote Accidental deaths in Italy Deaths from fire {{England-bio-stub