Eric Moxey

Eric Lawrence Moxey
Born	(1894-04-14)14 April 1894 Sao Paulo,Brazil
Died	27 August 1940(1940-08-27)(aged 46) Biggin Hill,England
Buried	St. Peter & St. Paul,Cudham,Orpington,Kent,
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Rank	Squadron Leader
Service number	73498
Battles/wars	First World War Battle of the Somme Battle of Albert First day on the Somme Second World War Home Front The Blitz†
Awards	George Cross

Eric Lawrence Moxey,GC(14 April 1894 – 27 August 1940) was an officer of theRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reservewho was posthumously awarded theGeorge Crossfor attempting to defuse enemy bombs on an airfield in 1940.

Early life and family

Eric Lawrence Moxey during WW1

Moxey was born inSao Paulo,Brazil, to English parents William Hall Moxey, Director of theSao Paulo Railway Companyand Margaret Moxey. He was educated in England atMalvern SchoolandSheffield Universitywhile working in the city atVickers Limited.He was a keen motorcyclist and achieved some successes atBrooklandsand theIsle of Man TT,where he won a gold medal as a top-placed amateur.

At the outbreak of theFirst World Warin 1914, Moxey entered theBritish Armyto serve in the infantry. He saw action on thefirst day of the Sommeas a lieutenant in the 7th Platoon of the 12thYork and Lancaster Regiment(Sheffield City Battalion) and was one of four men to return that day. He remained in the army until 1917, rising to the rank of captain, when he transferred to theRoyal Flying Corps.

In 1916 Moxey married May Arthur Clark, daughter of William Clark, then managing director of Vickers, and sister to Captain William S Clark, who fought alongside Moxey in the First World War and died on the first day of the Somme.

In 1919, Moxey left the Royal Flying Corps and returned to Sheffield to act as Sales Director for Vickers, where he remained until 1926 when he became managing director of the New Conveyor Company in Smethwick. In 1935, he formed the Moxey Conveyor Company, which later became Babcock Moxey, which in turn was purchased by Claudius Peters, one of theLangley Holdingscompanies.

Moxey and May had four children:

• Douglas Erskine Moxey (1918–1984) – Served in theRoyal Navy Volunteer Reserveson-boardHMSArk Royalduring theBattle of Spartivento,HMSEagleandHMSEmperor.Douglas later took over the running of Babcock Moxey when Eric was killed.
• Nigel Hall Moxey (1921–1942) – Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves. He was shot down and killed in Cairo in August 1942, forming part of the build-up to theBattle of Alam el Halfa.He is buried inHeliopolis.
• Jonathan Kirkwood Moxey (1924–1985) – Jack, as he was known, served as Navigator onMotor Launch 269during theD-Dayinvasion of North France, having been seconded from his role as an Observer in theFleet Air Arm.He later worked for several engineering firms before retiring toAlderneyin 1972 with ill health
• William Hall Moxey (1924–2011)

Second World War

After the outbreak of theSecond World WarMoxey volunteered and was posted to theRAF Intelligenceas part of the "Special Duties" team, where he was tasked with bomb disposal and became a pioneer in the investigation of enemy bombs and armaments. While there, he invented the "Fuze Extractor", the original safe defusing device for German bombs

Road sign for Eric Lawrence Moxey, killed at Biggin Hill in 1940

After aLuftwafferaid on the aerodrome atBiggin Hillon 27 August 1940, Moxey, then an acting squadron leader, was called to remove the unexploded bombs which had buried themselves into a runway. He successfully dealt with one bomb, opening the runway up to RAF fighter pilots to defend the capital. However, when he attempted to clear the second, it exploded, killing him instantly.

It was for this act he was awarded the George Cross, becoming the first person to be awarded the medal posthumously. His citation, which appeared in theLondon Gazetteof 17 December 1940, read:

The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the posthumous award of the George Cross to:—

Acting Squadron Leader Eric Lawrence Moxey (73498), Royal Air Force Volunteer reserve.

On the 27th August, 1940, it was reported that two unexploded bombs were embedded in an aerodrome. Squadron Leader Moxey, a technical intelligence officer employed at the Air Ministry, immediately volunteered to proceed to the site and remove them, though from the nature of his duties he was very fully aware of the risk entailed in such an operation. One of the bombs exploded causing his death. On many occasions Squadron Leader Moxey has exhibited similar complete disregard for his personal safety.

Moxey has since been remembered with a road named in his honour on a housing development besideBiggin HillAerodrome.

Further reading

• Owen, James(2010).Danger UXB.Little, Brown.ISBN978-1-4087-0255-0.
• M-M, S (1941).Together We FlyA Salute to Airmen.Geoffrey Bles.

External links

• Eric MoxeyatFind a Grave
• CWGC: Eric Lawrence Moxey