Greendale Group employee Harry Griffin has been awarded a Commanding Officers Coin for Excellence from the Army for his efforts in securing a WW2 bomb at Exmouth Marina earlier this year.
On Wednesday 14th January 2026, a 250kg WW2 bomb was dredged up at Exmouth Marina, sparking a three-day, multi-agency effort to safely remove and detonate the bomb.
One of the many involved was Harry Griffin, Head of Compliance at Greendale Group, who has since been recognised for his heroic efforts and bravery with a Commanding Officers Coin for Excellence by Lieutenant Colonel A R Hambley RLC, Commanding Officer of the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment.
After receiving a phone call on the day the bomb was discovered, Harry immediately travelled to Exmouth Marina to assist local police in establishing a safety cordon around the site while they waited for specialist support.
Under normal circumstances, the Navy Bomb Disposal Unit would be sent to any reports and incidents of WW2 bombs, however, just couple hours prior to the discovery of the bomb at Exmouth Marina, a separate WW2 bomb had been found in Plymouth which required their presence. Therefore, the Army’s 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment were sent to the Marina to investigate.
Upon their arrival, Harry met with the team and escorted them to the dredging vessel where the bomb remained.
With the specialist Army unit having no boat drivers, Harry assisted by driving a boat inside the exclusion zone and continued to help the Army, Police and local authorities throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning.
The following day, Harry provided pivotal support to the expert unit, keeping the bomb-laden dredger secured to the dockside with its machinery working, helping to ensure the bomb remained as stable as possible. This allowed the unit to assess the situation and plan how to move the device to a specialised disposal vessel.
By Friday, the bomb had been safely craned to a specialised disposal vessel, which transported the bomb out to sea and detonated it at a safe depth and distance.
A couple weeks after the event, Harry received his Commanding Officers Coin for Excellence in the post alongside a handwritten thank you from Lieutenant Colonel A R Hambley RLC. The note read:
“Dear Harry, I just wanted to pass on my formal thanks for your heroic efforts helping our teams last week on Operation MILLROW. Without your willingness to assist us, putting yourself and equipment at risk, we would not have been to bring the task to a swift and safe conclusion. I have included a Commanding Officers coin to recognise your contribution. These coins are only given to those soldiers who go above and beyond, demonstrating gallantry, dedication or self-sacrifice, you demonstrated all three. Thank you again, it was a pleasure to work with you.”
Harry’s actions showed true professionalism and unquestioning bravery, and we are extremely proud that he has been recognised for his actions.