NAM.2001-12-11-1

Military Cross 1944. From medal group awarded to Lieutenant John Arthur Groom, Combined Operations Experimental Establishment, Royal Engineers. Associated with World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945). Lieutenant John Arthur Groom was awarded the Military Cross for covert reconnaissance of beach mines and obstacles on the Normandy coast during Operation TARBRUSH on 16/17 May 1944, prior to the D-Day Landings. Citation: This officer was a member of a military force which landed in the vicinity of Bray-Dunes N.E. coast of France, on the night of 16/17 May 1944, to carry out a detailed reconnaissance of beach mines and obstacles, the nature and potentialities of which were not known. Despite the presence of enemy patrols on the beach, Lt Groom, together with his NCO, swept a path with his mine detector up the beach towards the obstacles. On arrival at these obstacles he proceeded to make, with the greatest courage and coolness, a careful and detailed examination of an object thought to be a new type of mine, and which might have been detonated by a devise unknown to him and against which he could take no precautions. He followed this be a second examination, for comparison, of a similar object close by, and he took note and measurements of other obstacles in the vicinity. He then led his party back to the dinghy, in which they embarked and withdrew undetected. Lt Groom was the first man of the force to approach and reconnoitre that object which was given the highest priority of the tasks allotted to the force, and in making a successful examination and in bringing this vital information back without leaving and trace of its having been obtained, he showed the greatest courage, efficiency, and coolness in the face of the enemy.

OVERLORD, Operation, 1944 (World War Two, North West Europe 1944-1945), TARBRUSH, Operation, 1944 (World War Two, North West Europe 1944-1945)