THE WORKERS’ V.C.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 January 1927, Page 10

THE WORKERS’ V.C.

HFJROTO DEEDS, Two or three times a year an announcement- that His Majestv the King has been pleased to award the Edward Medal for conspicuous gallantarv appears in the London Gazette. Only occasionally does any account, of the action appear in the daily papers, however (writes T. S. Denham in the Daily Chronicle). Yet deeds as heroic as those of soldiers and sailors in war time are performed by the un-umiorm-ed workers of peace. The Edward Medal was recently awarded to George Locke for the’ rescue of a fellow worker who had fallen, striking his head on a girder, high up on an Oxford Street building. At the risk of crashing to a fearful death below Locke leapt from one girder to .another, and. reaching the unconscious man held him tip until other workers came to his assistance. The King's portrait on the obveise and at. design presenting the rescue ot a miner with the inscription “For Courage" oil the reverse decorate the medal, which is made of bronze or silver. The 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 i.s made through the Mines- Department. Typical of many heroic rescues performed by miners was that of a, man of 60 named Chandler, one of the first men. tf> receive the medal. Chandler was engaged with five other men at Hoyland Si.lkcstone Colliery, when the fool fell in and a. girder punctured the boiler. Scalding steam rushed through a hole and killed one of the men on the spot. The others, including Chandler, were badly hurt, but the gallant miner made his w,a>y in the dark to the top of the boiler to rescue bis companions. Three times he made the journey, and it was not until he was too exhausted to move that he gave the signal to he hauled to the surface. The medal i.s awarded to British subjects in all parts of the Empire. On several occasions it has been earned in India. While engaged in charging a cupola used for melting pig iron at a foundry of the Elast India. 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 mail, attempted to 1 drag him out. But the deadly carbon mnn-

<:■ido fumes proved too powerful for him, and lie. too, became unconscious. Fortunately, other workmen rushed to the scene, and pulled O’Santos, who did. not relax his grip, on the rope, ami the workman to safety.

Oik? ill tin? most heioic deeds recorded :'t the Memo (XFice is that oi' Harry Denny, a workman at a \Ve.st Kroimvich ironwork*. Ilis foreman fell into a vessel of molten pig i.ron, but when Denny ‘attempted to pull him out the unfortunate man's clothe#; powdered away. Denny thereupon plunged his naked hands into the molten metal, and. sensing the foreman by the shoulders, dragged him clear. If the worker dies the medal is presented to his widow 01 nearest relation. An engine-driver’s brave action in Canada resulted in the award of the medal to Airs. William Mac-fall in 1911.