U.S. AIRMAN’S BRAVERY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26971, 21 February 1953, Page 7

U.S. AIRMAN’S BRAVERY

GEORSE MEDAL FOR WORK IN FLOODS

LONDON. February 19. The Queen has awarded the George Medal, the second highest civilian award for bravery, to Airman Reis Leming, of the United States Air Force, for gallantry in rescuing trapped people from their hon?es during the recent British floods. Leming, who is 6ft 3in tall, saued 27 persons by wading neck-deep through the flood waters. He continued his rescue work until he collapsed. Leming was one of the rescuers standing by at Hunstanton. Norfolk, when the sea wall broke, isolating • 5 bungalows. An Air Force Weasel set out to rescue the cottagers and was swamped. A motor launch crew tried three times to breast the gale and was blown back. Without a word to anyone. Leming, clad in a rubber “exposure suit.” waded into the icy waters, pushing a rubber raft ahead of him. Often the water swirled above his head, but “I just hung on until I could get a foothold again." he said. It took the young airman half an hour to fight his way to the first cottage. Eleven persons clambered off the roof on to the raft, and Leming pushed them back to safety. Without waiting for thanks, ho started back again. On the second tr p he rescued seven. The third time he was gone for more than an hour, and when he finally returned with nine more, he was moving very slowly. “Help me. My legs . . . heln me.” the people on dry land heard h’m mutter. His exposure suit was badly ripped when they d-aqgcd him out. Another five minutes in . the icy water might well have proved fatal, said a doctor. The next morning he was back helping the rescuers. One fact made the job more difficult—Leming cannot swim a stroke. Announcing the* award, th® Queen said she had learned of Leming’s valour during a visit to Huns’anton with the Duke of Edinburgh.