John Devlin (seen pictured second from right) has been impressively awarded the General Officer Commanding’s Commendation Award from the Major General of London District, CBE, at Wellington Barracks for outstanding services provided to the MoD. The site suffered a sewage pump failure where John wade waste deep into effluent to manually repair the pump and clear the plant room where he worked all weekend to successfully get the plant back working properly for a Monday start.
Additionally, on another occasion in the Officers Mess, a contractor had previously been working in the plantroom and had left a valve half open when the boilers got up to maximum temperature with very hot steam flooding the surrounding areas. John bravely entered the plantroom at considerable risk to close the valve and render the room safe. This combined action won John ‘The Employee of the Year for 2014’ where the ceremony (as shown) came about with John receiving a personal recommendation from Colonel Giles Stibbe for his devotion to duty. The G.O.C. is a Commendation for meritorious work above and beyond normal duty which was presented by GoC Major General Ed Smythe-Osbourne who is the most senior military figure in London.