大象传媒

I wonder how many people can say that they have met someone listed in the Guinness Book of Records. I had such a privilege sometime during the 1980s.

It was my habit at the time to take a sauna at Sunderland Leisure Centre each Sunday morning. It always seemed to be the same people in there, week by week, and we got to chatting with each other. There was one man, however, who did not join in the conversation, preferring instead to sit contentedly reading his newspaper. Yet there was something about this particular man. He looked interesting; he looked as if he had a story to tell.

One Sunday morning I was able to engage him in conversation. He wasn't the least stand-offish. For some reason the conversation came around to WWII (I think it might have been an anniversary of some sort) and I asked the man if he had seen service.

Indeed he had! Without the least trace of arrogance - indeed I recall having to cajole him into revealing his story - I learned that he was, among other things, Sunderland's former Director of Education, Mr. John J. Bridge.

When War broke out Mr Bridge thought he would put his degree in Physics to good use and became an officer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to undertake bomb disposal duties.

His naval career did not get off to the best of starts. Mr Bridge had been instructed to report to wherever at 9.00 a.m. As Mr Bridge told it: "I had absolutely no idea about naval regulations or punctuality. In I strolled at 9.20 a.m. on the day feeling very grand in my new naval officer's unniform."

And how nice of the navy to provide a colossal warrant officer to greet him. Without a care in the world Mr Bridge bade him a polite and cheery, "Good morning." The warrant officer was unimpressed. "COME HERE YOU!" he bellowed. The inevitable followed: "I inwardly vowed that I would never be late again for anything as long as I lived if only this man would stop shouting at me," chuckled Mr Bridge.

For his subsequent work in the field of Bomb Disposal, Mr Bridge was awarded the George Cross and a bar to the George Medal. When last inspected I saw his name in the Medals and Decorations section of the Guiness Book of Records. He was listed as being the most highly decorated civilian in British history.

A truly brave man.

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