Bidspirit auction | George Cross recipient William Goad

George Cross recipient William Goad GC signed Atlantic Convoys FDC. On the night of 20 September 1942, Goad was serving as an Acting Leading Seaman aboard the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Ashanti during an Arctic Convoy. When a sister ship, HMS Somali, was torpedoed by a German U-boat, HMS Ashanti moved alongside to rescue survivors in the freezing North Atlantic. Despite a raging full gale and water well below freezing point, Goad volunteered to be lowered over the side on a lifeline. He dived into the hazardous seas and successfully rescued an unconscious man—who turned out to be the commander of the Somali, Lieutenant Commander Colin Maud. For his immense bravery, King George VI presented Goad with the Albert Medal at Buckingham Palace in July 1943