THE WORKER’S V.C.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1927, Page 4

THE WORKER’S V.C.

Two or three times a year an aiinoun cement that His .Majesty the King ha been pleased to award the Edwan Medal for conspicuous gallantry appear in the " London Gazette.” Only oeea sionally does any account of the aetioi appear ill the daily papers. Vet deed: as heroic as those of soldiers and sailor: in war time are performed by the un uniformed workers of peace. The Edward .Medal was recently awarded to George Locke for the resellof a follow worker who had fallen striking his head on a girder, high U| on a London building. At the risk o crashing to a fearful death below Lode leapt from one girder to another, and reaching the unconscious man. held bin up until other workers came to hi: assistance.

The King’s portarit on the obverse and a design presenting the rescue of a miner, with the inscription " For Courage” on the reverse decorate the medal, which is made of bronze or silver. 'I lie Home Office is concerned with its award and in the case of heroic deeds by miners, which form a large proportion of the awards, the recommendation is made through the Mines Department. Typical of the many heroic rescues performed by miners was that of a man of sixty named Chandler, one ol Hr first men to receive tbe medal. Chandler was engaged with live other men al 11 oy la ml Silkestone Colliery when Unroof fell in and a girder punctured a boiler. Scalding steam rushed through a hole and killed one of the men on the spot. The others, including Chandler, were badly hurt, blit tbe gallant miner made bis way in the dark to the top of the boiler to rescue bis compani i is. Three times lie made the journey, n.w’ : t was not until lie was too exhausted to move that in- gave the signal to I-c----nulled to the surlaec.

The medal is awarded to British subjects in all parts of the Empire. 'ln

several occasions it lias boon earned in India. While engaged in (barging a cupola used for melting pig iron at a foundry of tbe East Indian Railway Company a workman overbalanced and fell in. Without a moment’s hesitation John D’Santos leapt into the receptacle, and, tying a rope round the unconscious man. attempted to drag him out. But the deadly carbon monoxide fumes proved too powerful for him. and lie, too. became unconscious. Fortunately, other workmen rushed to the scene and pulled D’Sanots, who did not relax his grip on the rope, and the workman to safety.

One of the most heroic deeds recorded at tlie Home Office is that of Harry Denny, a worker at a West Bromwich ironworks. His foreman fell into a vessel of molten pig iron, but when Denny attempted to pull him out the unfortunate man’s clothes powdered away. Denny thereupon plunged his naked hands into the molten metal, and. seizing the foreman by the shoulders, dragged him clear. If the worker dies during the performance of a heroic deed the medal is presented to his widow or nearest relation. An engine driver’s brave action in Canada resulted in the award of the medal to Mrs William Macfall in 1911.