Joseph Henry Silk
Nickname(s)	"Harry"
Born	(1916-08-14)14 August 1916 London, England
Died	4 December 1943(1943-12-04) (aged 27) Burma
Buried	Taukkyan War Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Private
Service number	5625234
Unit	Somerset Light Infantry
Battles/wars	Second World War Burma campaign Burma campaign 1943  †
Awards	George Cross

George Cross and its ribbon bar.

Private Joseph Henry Silk GC (14 August 1916 − 4 December 1943),^[1][2] of the Somerset Light Infantry was posthumously awarded the George Cross (GC) for his heroic self-sacrifice while serving in Burma (now Myanmar) during the Burma campaign of 1942−1943 of the Second World War.

During training Silk threw himself on an accidentally triggered grenade to save his comrades from the explosion which killed him instantly.^[3]

Notice of his award appeared in The London Gazette on 13 June 1944.^[4]

References