Brigadier William Marsden Eastman,
GC (26 October 1911 – 8 April 1980) was a
British Army officer 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
bomb disposal work between June and November 1940 on the island of
Malta.
Early life and career
Born in Brentford on 26 October 1911, Eastman was educated at
Uppingham School and the
University of Cambridge. His university studies were interrupted by his father's death, as he had to take over the family dyeing and dry-cleaning business.
His knowledge of chemicals learned through this career led to him being recommended for a commission in the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps on volunteering shortly before the outbreak of the
Second World War. Having then attended the Inspecting Ordnance Officer's course at Bramley, he was embarked for Malta in March 1940.
Bomb disposal work
Between June and November 1940 the island of Malta came under the combined attack from German and Italian airforces. As no
Royal Engineer
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
bomb disposal units had yet been formed, the job of attending to unexploded bombs and mines was handled by the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps. A high number of unexploded bombs needed defusing and Eastman, along with
Robert Jephson Jones rendered safe some 275 devices with rudimentary equipment.
George Cross citation
Notice of his award appeared in the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
'' on Christmas Eve, 1940.
Post-war career
After the war he commanded the
RAOC Training Centre until his retirement in 1966, when he retired with his wife to Malta, where he died, and is buried in the
Ta' Braxia Cemetery
Ta' Braxia Cemetery ( mt, Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Braxa) is a cemetery in Gwardamanġa, located near the boundary between Pietà and Ħamrun, Malta. It was built between 1855 and 1857 as a multi-denomination burial ground primarily intended for Britis ...
in
Pietà.
Sale of medals
Eastman's medals were sold at auction in 2008. They sold for a then world record amount of £49,450 and were acquired by Eastman's regimental museum.
TimesofMalta.com, 30 March 2008
References
Sources
George Cross database, Retrieved 19 November 2007.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastman, William Marsden
Royal Army Ordnance Corps officers
British recipients of the George Cross
Bomb disposal personnel
British Army personnel of World War II
People educated at Uppingham School
1911 births
1980 deaths
Military personnel from the London Borough of Hounslow
British Army brigadiers
People from Brentford