George Styles

Who was George Styles?

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen George Styles GC, usually known as George Styles, was a bomb disposal expert in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He received the George Cross for his service in defusing terrorist bombs in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

Styles was born in Crawley, where his father was a bricklayer. He was educated at Collyers Grammar School, Horsham. He was called for National Service in 1946, and, after officer cadet training, he was commissioned into the RAOC and posted to the central ammunition depot at Kineton. He obtained a regular commission in 1949, and was seconded to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Malayan Emergency and was mentioned in dispatches. He studied at the Royal Military College of Science, obtaining an engineering degree. He returned to Malaya, commanding the 28th Commonwealth Brigade Ordnance Field Park Regiment, based at Taiping, then served with the 1st British Corps of the British Army of the Rhine in Germany.

He was posted to Northern Ireland in 1969.