Haward, Geoffrey

Service number:: 6204205
Nationality:: British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

November 1937: Joins territorial machine gun battalion, the 1/7th Middlesex Regiment.
January 1940: Shipped to France to prepare to block a German invasion of France.
May: Germans invade Belgium and Jeff’s unit fights them.
June 1/2: Rescued in Dunkirk evacuation.
Late June: His unit joins the defence of England against an expected German invasion.
November 1941: His unit joins the 51st Highland Division.
June 1942: The Division sets sail for North Africa.
August: Arrives in Egypt.
October: Involved in the 2nd Battle of El Alamein and fights on with the 51st Highland Division to Tripoli and Tunisia.
April 1943: Still fighting in North Africa, his friend Johnny Hunt is obliterated by a direct hit on his trench, yards from Jeff. One hundred of the 1/7th killed.
8 July: The Allied invasion of Sicily. Attacking a trench, Jeff is shot "between the legs" by a German. He is evacuated to North Africa for treatment. Twelve of the 1/7th killed.
Christmas Eve: Returns to rejoin the Division in Scotland.
June 1944: Jeff and the 1/7th join the D-Day landings with the 51st Highland Division.
August: Promoted to L/Cpl, then Cpl and Sgt. Involved in the capture of Caen.
September: Involved in the capture of Le Havre, before moving on to Holland.
December: Involved in the Ardennes Offensive.
February 1945: Among nine 1/7th volunteers who attack four German pillboxes with just two machine guns. His friend Frank Dollin is killed by a sniper. Jeff has a bullet pass through his clothes without wounding him. He later receives the Military Medal for leading the attack.
March: With Allied forces crossing the Rhine.
May 7: His unit is told to fire only in self defence as the war would finish the next day. Stayed in Germany for another year.
April 1946: Demobbed, takes up plumbing, then joins a bus company, first as a conductor, then a driver.
1947: Meets Ivy Ades. They marry in 1949 and have two sons

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Military Medal (MM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Sergeant
Unit:: 1/7 Middlesex Regiment, 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, British Army
Awarded on:: May 10th, 1945

"On the 9th February 1945 Sjt. Haward was with a small Company Reconnaissance party which was sent to reconnoitre gun positions on the Southern edge of the Reichswald. The party was fired on by the enemy who were found to be occupying the area to be reconnoitered. It was immediately apparent that the enemy were much stronger than was at first thought. Sjt Hawad and another Sjt, although exposed to heavy enemy fire at short range, made several gallant attempts to work round to a flank to bring fire to bear on the enemy position. Tanks were then brought up to fire on the position and Sjt Haward again attempted to outflank the enemy position. During this attempt Sjt (***), hit by small arms fire, was seen to fall. Sjt Haward, although under intense small arms fire at short range, went forward with entire disregard for his own safety to see if he could help Sjt (***), who had, in fact, been killed instantly.

On 13th February 1945 Sjt. Haward was in position South of Gennep with his machine gun platoon when the enemy launched a counter attack of infantry supported by a few tanks. The infantry were immediately repulsed by artillery and MG fire. The tanks, however, spotted the machine gun positions and subjected them to heavy and continuous fire. Sjt. Haward, again with entire disregard for his own safety exposed himself in moving from gun to gun directing their fire and encouraging the gun crews. In spite of the accurate fire from the enemy tanks the guns were kept firing.

On these two occasions Sjt. Haward showed indifference to danger and power of leadership beyond all normal calls of duty. His conduct not only was an outstanding example to all ranks but undoubtedly was instrumental in saving lives of his men."

WO 373/53/4524