Master Warrant Officer Alfred David Coxall, GM, CD served in the Royal Canadian Engineers and Canadian Military Engineers for many years. He was a Corporal in the Works Section at Wolseley Barracks in London, ON when he was awarded the George Medal. He was also a sports parachutist of the highest order. He held a D licence, was a senior rigger and a pilot who started at St. Thomas, Grand Valley and Chilliwack parachute clubs and was also an original member of the Toronto Club. He was on the 1960 Canadian Team and also served the Parachute Club of Canada as the National Safety Officer for a number of years.
Dr. John Blatherwick, MD, CD, in his research of the incident, adds the information reflected in the original citation:
"The jumper was entangled in the static line and could not pull his reserve. Cpl Coxall went down the line to the hung up parachutes. The line broke where Coxall had started to cut it and both fell free. Coxall untangled himself from the other man and fell free with him for several hundred feet before it became safe for Coxall to pull the other man's reserve open. Then when the other man's reserve was about to pop open, Coxall fell free and pulled his own chute open and it fully opened, at approximately top of tree altitude, 100 feet above ground. (A fraction of a second parachute ride). Both men landed close together, Coxall restored circulation to the other jumper's arm and both suffered no injuries. Both fell an estimated 3000 feet in freefall. The inspecting Military Officers did not speak to the pilot, Coxall or the hung up jumper during their investigation. They had only second-hand information from the airport staff who had only hearsay information. Mr. Coxall is now 90 years old but alive and well. Many people have tried to obtain the George Cross for Coxall, however, apparently once a decision is made it is not changed This can all be supported as true by contact this writer. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.50.244.38 (talk) 02:44, 7 July 2016 (UTC)."
Mr. Coxall is living in British Columbia at the time of this writing (May 2020).
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On 16 October 1960, Corporal Coxall was performing the duties of jump master and instructor with the parachute club of Canada. He was flying in a Cessna 172 aircraft with the pilot, Donald Martin, and two students, George Van Roosmelon and John Bosch. They were flying out of the Brantford airport for the Ground Valley Sky Divers at 3,200 feet and crossed Goren Lane when Mr. Bosch was the first student to jump and he made a normal exit. Mr. Van Roosmelon then jumped from the landing gear of the aircraft and in the process became fouled in the static line, causing his parachute to fail to open.
Corporal Coxall attempted to cut the static line with a sliver of glass but he noticed that Mr. Van Roosmelon's arm was pinned such that if the line were cut he would not be able to open his reserve parachute. With the aircraft in a slow circuit, Corporal Coxall put the sliver of glass in his chute belt, climbed out of the aircraft and slid down the static line to attempt to free Mr. Van
Roosmelon. His plan was to secure himself to Mr. Van Roosmelon by means of another static line, cut the fouled static line, and then both of them descend on his parachutes.
As he started to free Mr. Van Roosmelon, the partially severed static line broke and both Corporal Coxall and Mr. Van Roosmelon fell free. This non-commissioned officer shoved the other man away from him, pulled his ripcord and after ensuring that the parachute was opening properly, fell away from him. After a few seconds, Corporal Coxall then opened his own parachute and descended to the ground, landing a short distance from Mr. Van Roosmelon. Neither man was injured. Corporal Coxall's quick and cool actions were carried out under most hazardous conditions with complete disregard towards his own safety. His clear and decisive actions are a credit to both himself and the Army.
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