"Sir John Gorman, who has died aged 91, was a Northern Irish Roman Catholic Unionist with an unflinching sense of service, which he demonstrated in winning the Irish Guards’ first Military Cross during a tank action in the Normandy campaign. After the war he joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary before becoming a senior manager with British Overseas Airways Corporation, then head of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Finally he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as the sole Roman Catholic member of the Ulster Unionist Party, and served as Deputy Speaker until the Assembly's suspension in 2002. John Reginald Gorman was born on February 1 1923 at Mullaghmore House, Co Tyrone. Both sides of his family were Catholics and Unionists. His father, an RUC district inspector, had won an MC while serving in Palestine during the First World War and, as a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, had handed over the Phoenix Park barracks to Michael Collins after the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty — after which he moved north. Having been educated by Loretto nuns at Omagh, John was sent to the Imperial Service College at Windsor. After war broke out in 1939 he attended Portrora Royal School, Enniskillen, which was then a firmly Anglican establishment and the Province’s leading public school. Despite the school’s religious ethos, Gorman never found his Catholicism a source of trouble or comment. Commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1942, Gorman first experienced action as a tank commander during Operation Goodwood on July 18 1944." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10860970/Sir-John-Gorman-obituary.html
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C9052209 “225172 Lieutenant John Reginald GORMAN, 2nd Armoured Bn, IRISH GUARDS On 18 Jul 44 near CAGNY in NORMANDY, Lieutenant J.R. GORMAN, whilst on the flank of his Squadron, which was attacking South-East from that village, encountered 3 concealed PANTHERS at a range of 100 yards. Lieutenant GORMAN fired 3 75mm rounds at the leading PANTHER. Seeing that these had no apparent effect and despite the fact that the PANTHER was covered by the other two tanks, he charged the leading tank with such force that it was unable to fire and its crew baled out. Lieutenant GORMAN and his driver then ran back to where they had seen a ditched SHERMAN 17-pr. He found the commander dead and having removed him with help of his driver and having told the gunner to get into the tank again, Lieutenant GORMAN returned to stalk the 3 PANTHERS in the 17-pr SHERMAN. He scored several hits and the rammed PANTHER was found the next day burnt out beside his own tank. Lieutenant GORMAN then dealt with the wounded and returned to his Squadron. Throughout this whole action Lieutenant GORMAN showed exceptional initiative and determination with a complete disregard for his own safety.” N.B. The account in the citation is incorrect the German tank which was rammed was a King Tiger and not a Panther.
Thanks, there's a bit more on the other place, too much to quote. http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/53414-sir-john-reginald-gorman-cvo-cbe-mc-dl-2nd-bn-irish-guards/#entry626975 A very detailed thread dealing with the Tiger action deserves a link of its own though. http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=144696
