Gordon Bridson | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Bridson in 1930 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 December 1909 Wellington, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||
| Died | 6 December 1972 (aged 63) Cambridge, New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance | New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||
| Service/ | Royal New Zealand Navy | |||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1927–46 | |||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Commander | |||||||||||||||||
| Commands | HMNZS Kiwi HMT Walnut | |||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | Second World War | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Service Cross Navy Cross (United States) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sports career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country | New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||
| Sports achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| National finals | 100 yd freestyle champion (1930, 1931, 1932) 220 yd freestyle champion (1930, 1931, 1932) 440 yd freestyle champion (1929, 1930, 1931) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Commander Gordon Bridson, DSO, DSC (2 December 1909 – 6 December 1972) was a New Zealand swimmer who won two silver medals at the 1930 British Empire Games. He was also in the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and in the Second World War, he served in the Royal New Zealand Navy. Seconded to the Royal Navy in 1940, he commanded a minesweeper vessel that accompanied coastal convoys along the English Channel. He was later the commander of the minesweeper HMNZS Kiwi which, with her sister ship Moa, sunk the Japanese submarine I-1 off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.