RFA Bedenham was a naval armament carrier of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary that exploded while docked in Gibraltar on 27 April 1951, killing 13 people and causing a great deal of damage to the town.

[4] Thirteen people were killed in the explosion, including Henderson, who was posthumously awarded the George Cross[1] for his bravery in attempting to extinguish the fire.

Two dock workers, among them Jose Moss, and two traders on nearby Ragged Staff Road were killed by flying debris.

The crew of the Bedenham had already abandoned the ship by the time of the explosion, with the exception of the Captain and the Naval Armament Supply Officer, both of whom were blown into the water but subsequently rescued.

It was locally recognized that the damage to the town would have been much worse but for the City of Gibraltar's fortress defensive walls, built between the 16th and 19th centuries, which deflected part of the explosion's blast.