A Second World War B.E.M. pair awarded to A. Huckle, Station Master at Dover, awarded for services in connection with the Evacuation from Dunkirk

British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (Arthur Huckle), mounted as worn; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, enamel damage, some points bent good fine, in damaged case of issue, B.E.M. extremely fine (2) £240-280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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B.E.M. London Gazette 4 January 1943. ‘Arthur Huckle, Station Master, Dover Priory Station, Southern Railway Company. For services to Civil Defence’. Recommendation states, ‘Huckle has been the Resident Station Master at Dover Priory since March, 1939 and played a great part in the successful movement of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk. Apart from this, a very large volume of traffic, including both personnel and stores, has passed through the station during the war period and Huckle has organised the arrangements for dealing with it with great ability. He has worked long hours under arduous conditions, and by self-sacrifice and continuous devotion to duty has obtained unstinted assistance from his staff. The station, also the permanent way in the Dover Area, have been damaged by shell-fire and bombs on several occasions but Huckle has been at his post at all times of danger, and, regardless of personal inconvenience and risk of injury, has slept in the precincts of the station so that his services would be immediately available to take control and institute any emergency arrangements which might be necessary. Huckle has carried on under all conditions and has shown a praiseworthy devotion to duty which has been emulated by his staff’.

Legion of Honour London Gazette Not listed.

Arthur Huckle was born in 1889 and was appointed Station Master of the Southern Railway’s Dover Priory Station in March 1939. He remained the Station Master at Dover Priory throughout the dramatic period of the B.E.F. evacuation from Dunkirk and Calais and during the heavy Luftwaffe attacks on southern England during 1940. He served during a time of intense rail activity, with trains evacuating the thousands of British and French soldiers, the wounded and the local children from Dover and trains bringing in the men and material for the defence of the port, all the time being under air attack. For his services he was awarded the B.E.M. and on 30 June 1943 was awarded the Legion of Honour by the Free French Government. In October 1944 he was promoted to Traffic Assistant at Dover Maritime Station. He retired in 1953 and died in 1955.

Sold with a letter from British Railways, Southern Region, confirming that Arthur Huckle, a station master at Dover, who retired in 1953, was awarded the B.E.M. and Legion of Honour for services in connection with the evacuation from Dunkirk. Also with an extract from Hell’s Corner 1940 - Kent Becomes the Battlefield of Britain, by Pratt-Boorman, in which Station Master Huckle recalled some of the wartime dangers and damage done to the railway in 1940. With copied photograph and research.