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Auction: 21102 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction 3
Lot: 203

The outstanding 1940 'Slough Bomb mystery' George Cross (exchange E.G.M.) awarded to Foundryman J. H. Farr, decorated for his remarkable bravery in the aftermath of the devastating explosion at High Duty Alloys on 13 July 1940

George Cross (John Henry Farr, Foundryman, Slough 26th July, 1940.), on its original mounting pin and in Royal Mint case of issue, nearly extremely fine

Provenance:
Spink, July 1994.

E.G.M. London Gazette 26 July 1940:

'When an explosion occurred recently at a factory in the South of England, he displayed exceptional bravery and devotion to duty.

In spite of the grave danger due to molten metal and the risk of electrocution from the loose high tension cables, he removed a colleague from the danger zone. He then returned into the foundry with his brother Douglas. Between them they cleared two large furnaces each containing 1,000lbs of molten aluminium. Farr and his brother volunteered for that duty in spite of falling debris, the dangerous condition of the structure and roof, and in complete darkness. As a result of their voluntary efforts, the plant was restored to production days sooner than would otherwise have been the case.'

John Henry Farr was born on 27 April 1913 at Tonypandy, South Wales, one of eight children of George and Sarah Farr. Wanting to join the Glamorgan Police Force, Farr was rejected on account of being 1 inch too short. The family thence moved to Slough, Berkshire in the 1930s.

Fighting his corner

His brother Thomas (better known as Tommy) would gain fame when becoming British Heavyweight champion in 1936. However, according to family legend, John was the better pugilist, but did not enjoy the physical contact. He did have two professional fights, winning his first with a first-Round knockout. The second was a loss on points in May 1936.

High Duty Alloys

By the outbreak of the Second World War, John was working at the High Duty Alloys Factory with another brother, Douglas. Located on the Trading Estate in Slough, its work was considered to be kept secret. At the time they made a range of specialised alloys named Hiduminium which had been developed by Rolls-Royce for use in aero-engines. Every aircraft in the Royal Air Force had pistons made from forged Hiduminium and supply was considered so vital that a shadow factory was being set up in a remote part of Cumbria. The events of 13 July 1940 would put Farr into the history books.

Slough Bomb 'Mystery'

Of all the files in the National Archives related to the Second World War, just one has the word 'mystery' in its title - that of the events which led to the award of the George Cross to Farr (AIR 8/356, refers). At 2310hrs a single large explosion rocked High Duty Alloys, killing (at least) three workers and injuring 30 others. Although there was no doubt that a bomb was responsible for the explosion, the peculiar thing was that no aircraft activity had been detected over Slough. If the bomb had been dropped from an aeroplane then it must have been flying at very high altitude not to have been heard by the aircraft spotters situated all around the Trading Estate.

The Chief Inspector of Explosives, Colonel Thomas, was dispatched to the site the next day to determine whether the bomb, instead of being dropped, could have been planted as an act of sabotage. Thomas examined the deep crater going through the concrete floor of the factory. Embedded in the soil at the bottom were part of a metal grid previously set into the floor and also parts of the overhead crane. From this, he concluded that a bomb falling from above had carried these parts down with it and sabotage could therefore be ruled out.

Sir Hugh Dowding had his own views and could not believe the raider would not be detected. It seems he placed the blame for the events at the door of the IRA.

In consideration that the bomb might have come from an aircraft flying at very high altitude, Dowding had mentioned two X-raids. Further corroboration of aircraft activity emerged in the form of Colonel Clewes, Observer Corps, who was staying near Slough that night. While outside, he heard an aeroplane pass overhead twice at what he thought was great height. He had no difficulty in identifying from its sound that it was German.

The investigation effectively ended at this point. The War Cabinet never pressed for any further explanation. The Battle of Britain had begun and other matters took over. The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff concluded:

'The bomb which fell on the works at Slough bids fair to become a mystery of the air comparable only to that of the famous Marie Celeste at sea!'

The file remained classified and only became available to the public in 1971. Speculation has been raised that it was a targeted attack by the Luftwaffe due to a recently-digitalised image of the Foundry, dated 14 August 1940. Perhaps the enemy were checking the see the results of their work a little over a month previously?

Off to the Palace

What is certain is that Farr, together with his brother Douglas, entered the stage and showed remarkable bravery in the face of the devastating explosion on that fateful night. The pair worked tirelessly and without thought for themselves. John was subsequently awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, with Douglas earning a British Empire Medal. John went up to Buckingham Palace on 6 August 1940 to receive the E.G.M., at the same time as Daphne Pearson and Gerald Winter. With the establishment of the George Cross on 24 September 1940, Farr had his E.G.M. converted. He went back to Buckingham Palace to receive this George Cross from the hands of The King (The Times 27 October 1941, refers).

He continued to work in the industry and joined sister-company Langley Alloys before long. Having retired, he moved to Brighton with his wife for a time before returning to Slough. His story featured on the covers of The Hornet, No. 316 of 27 September 1969. Farr died on 24 January 1973 and was cremated at the Slough Crematorium, with his ashes in the Garden of Remembrance; sold together with an original copy of The Hornet and copied research.

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Sold for
£19,000

Starting price
£13000