South Yorkshire Times, September 8^th, 1951

Mentioned In Dispatches

‘It’s Nothing’ says Barnburgh R.A.F. Sergeant

There is a certain air of mystery in the Holliday home at Hall Cottages Barnburgh. Mr. and Mrs. John Holliday’s 24-years-old son, Geoffrey, has been Mentioned in Dispatches while with the R.A.F. in Korea, but his parents and family do not know why.

Geoffrey, home from Korea on 60 days’ leave, will not say. The first his family knew of the award, in fact, was when a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter told them on Friday. Geoff was away, looking round Holme Moss television station, and when he returned that night the only comment that could be drawn from him was ‘It’s nothing.’ Geoff still isn’t saying.

Geoff is a sergeant in the Air Force, which he has joined for 20 years. He went to Cranwell as a cadet when he left Mexborough Grammar School aged 16, and two years later was posted to Iraq. A short spell out there, and he was back in England training for air crew. For the last two and a half years, he has been in China and Korea, Japan and New Zealand.

As a radio operator in Sunderlands he was in the bid to rescue the frigate Amethyst in the Yangtse Kiang, and has seen considerable service over the Korean war area.

While in Korea, Geoff was recommended for a commission, but the only other indication to his family that there might be some award was when he wrote saying that he had “had a couple of near misses, but nothing came of them” and that he “might have a surprise” when he reached home. In Barnburgh they were left to draw their own conclusions.

Geoff arrived home last week, and was met at Doncaster by his mother, Mrs. Elsie Holliday. There has been only one thing to mar his leave as yet—Mrs. Holliday collapsed as soon as she reached Barnburgh with her son. She was taken to Rotherham Moorgate Hospital, and underwent, an immediate operation for appendicitis, from which she is now happily recovering.