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{"ID":295,"SpaceID":1,"PageID":15,"HasCommentsThread":false,"SeoTags":{"OpenGraphTags":[{"ID":"og:title","Name":"Douglas Merriman"},{"ID":"og:type","Name":"website"},{"ID":"og:url","Name":"https://www.tinplateworkers.co.uk/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Douglas+Merriman"}],"NonOpenGraphTags":[]},"Path":"Douglas+Merriman","Title":"Douglas Merriman","Author":{"ID":5,"Name":"Tamas Biro","CompanyName":null,"HasEmail":true},"Version":4,"IsDraft":false,"IsOldVersion":false,"PublicationDate":"26/02/2026 10:46","VersionDescription":"v4 - Tamas Biro","HideHeader":true,"IsFullWidth":false,"ThemeCode":"Fromthearchives","BackgroundColour":null,"JumpLinks":[],"Blocks":[{"Columns":[{"Width":6,"WidthClasses":"col-md-6 col-sm-12 col-xs-12","Elements":[{"ID":2382,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003ch2\u003eDr Arthur Douglas Merriman GC, OBE, DL, FRSE – Master of the Company from 1967 - 1968\u003c/h2\u003e","ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"RequiresLoggedInUser":false,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"15px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":"0px","PaddingLeft":"15px","PaddingTop":"0px","PaddingRight":"0px","PaddingBottom":"0px","CssClass":null,"ResponsiveClasses":"","PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null,"Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"","Tint":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":null,"ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"Caption":{"IsActive":false,"Text":null,"SubText":null,"Font":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"SubFont":{"Size":null,"Colour":null},"Alignment":null,"Position":null,"Margin":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"Blur":false,"Hover":false},"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PaddingLeft":"10px","PaddingTop":"10px","PaddingRight":"10px","PaddingBottom":"10px","PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true,"CssClass":null,"PageLinkName":null,"PageLinkCaption":null},"IgnoreCache":false},{"ID":2383,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003cp\u003eMerriman was born in Manchester on 25th November 1892, to parents Harry and Elizabeth Merriman (nee Oldershaw). \u0026nbsp;He was educated at the Municipal High School and Municipal College in Manchester, before studying at the University of Manchester for a year, completing his studies in 1912. He began a three years’ Maths- Natural Sciences Tripos degree at Downing College, Cambridge, graduating in 1915. He decided on a career in academia and became Science Master at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Crediton, Devon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the First World War he enlisted with the Army Ordnance Corp in June 1917.\u0026nbsp; Merriman was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and served as an Inspecting Ordnance Officer. He arrived in France in April 1918 and promoted to Acting Captain. He saw action for seven months before the Armistice and demobbed in May 1920. Following the end of the war, he returned to his career in academia.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerriman was appointed Senior Science Master at Kings Norton Secondary School, Birmingham in December 1920.\u0026nbsp; He also lectured in Engineering Science at evening school at the Sparkhill Technical Institute. In 1926, he was appointed Principal of the County Technical School in Wallesend. \u0026nbsp;He attended the University of Lille in France, where he obtained his Doctorate in 1927. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the outbreak of World War Two he took up a position in an organisation known as the “Directorate of Scientific Research”. They were involved in the research, development and dissemination of bomb disposal methods and specialised equipment. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 11th September 1940, he was serving as a part time experimental officer in the Directorate of Scientific Research when he was called to a bomb that had landed in Regents Street, Central London. Together with Dr H.J. Gough and Captain Kennedy, he used a new device to steam out the explosive from the bomb. The bomb was ticking, and it was decided that all they could do was get as much explosive out as possible before it went off. Their timing was perfect; they went on working until the very last minute. The bomb exploded 4 hours later and only caused some broken windows. For this action, Merriman was awarded the George Cross.\u0026nbsp; His GC Investiture took place on 17th Nov 1942 by King George VI at Buckingham Palace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was demobbed in October 1946 but continued to work at Fort Halstead as a civilian Principal Scientific Officer. He then became Registrar-Secretary of the Institution of Metallurgists on 20th April 1948, a position he held until his retirement in 1957. In his retirement he worked as a consultant in the steel industry and education in metallurgy. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerriman was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in December 1955.\u0026nbsp; His other awards were OBE (1944); British War Medal 1914-1920; Victory Medal 1914-19; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation Medal 1953.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur Merriman died on 4th November 1972 at Streatham Hospital, London. 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