A Second War ‘London Blitz’ G.M. group of six awarded to Detective Sergeant S. C. Coomber, Metropolitan Police, later Acting Regulating Petty Officer, Royal Navy, for his gallantry in saving life following an air raid on the Church Army Hostel, Paddington, on the night of 16-17 April 1941

George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Sidney Cyril Coomber) in card box of issue; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Police L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (D.S. (2nd. Cl.) Sidney C. Coomber) nearly extremely fine and better (6) £3,000-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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Provenance: Bonhams, July 2005 (when sold without the Second War campaign awards).

G.M. London Gazette 27 June 1941: Sidney Cyril Coomber, Police Constable, Criminal Investigation Department, “D” Division, Metropolitan Police (in a joint citation with W. A. Bailey, Captain, Church Army, Paddington; Police Constable R. G. Grose, “D” Division, Metropolitan Police, and Police Constable E. J. Pope, “D” Division, Metropolitan Police.)

‘As a result of enemy action buildings were damaged. Detective Constable Coomber and Police Constable Grose entered one house and found several men lying severely injured and one man trapped. They removed all of them to safety and then climbed to the second floor where they were joined by Captain Bailey. Search was made for two men known to be trapped on the premises. After removing a quantity of debris, one man was released and lowered to the ground. The rescuers then climbed to the third floor and eventually located the other man who had apparently fallen through to the floor below. Coomber, assisted by Bailey, tunnelled under the wreckage while Grose removed rubble passed out to him. In spite of the fact that debris was continually falling around them, and a large slab of stonework was hanging overhead in a dangerous position, they succeeded in releasing the casualty.
Police Constable Pope, who was on duty nearby, was thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion. He recovered and, after attending to two severely injured victims and helping seven people to safety, he scrambled up to the second floor of a building where a woman was trapped. He made an opening in the wreckage and, by supporting himself with his right hand, gradually lowered himself. After removing debris with his left hand, he was able to extricate the woman, who climbed over his back and was hauled to safety. The rescues were performed while an air attack was still in progress. Huge pieces of masonry and timber were poised in perilous positions, and the danger was further increased by escaping gas and water.’

The recipient’s own account of the action states: ‘At 2:40 a.m. on 17 April 1941, I was travelling in a Police Van, in company with Police Constable Grose. As we were crossing Bishops Bridge Road, W2, we saw and felt an explosion which appeared to be about 70 yards south along Eastbourne Terrace, W2. We left the van and proceeded to the spot, were we found that the Church Army Hostel, 31-38 Eastbourne Terrace, W2, had been severely damaged by enemy action.
With Police Constable Grose I entered one house, and found several servicemen lying severely injured in the hall, and in the ground floor back room I found a man severely injured ands trapped by debris. We removed these men into the street from the still falling debris and escaping gas, and released the man at the rear of the premises. Leaving this address we heard a shout from the top of the debris neck door, and climbing up found a man in pyjamas and bare-footed, who stated that he was the manager of the premises. I afterwards discovered that his name was Captain Bailey. He informed us that there was a man trapped underneath the debris of the second floor.
By removing a quantity of debris were were able to release this man who was trapped in the front room of the second floor. We lowered this man to the ground and he was conveyed to hospital. The Captain then guided Police Constable Grose and myself to the third floor, where I found a man trapped by debris in the back room of the second floor. We tunnelled under the debris and made a small opening. I crawled in the hole and with the assistance of the Captain was able to remove a quantity of debris. Meanwhile the debris kept falling on the victim and myself, and each time the Captain and Police Constable Grose managed to prop up the floor to throw the debris in another direction. With the assistance of Police Constable Grose and the Captain, I eventually released this man and managed to get him down to the ground, where he was conveyed to hospital by the A.R.P. Authorities.
Throughout the whole rescue, which took about an hour, in spite the fact that he was bare-footed and lightly clad, and having been in the building when it was bombed, Captain Bailey rendered magnificent assistance to police in rescuing these trapped men. Gas and water were escaping at the time, and the floor above us was in danger of collapsing at any moment, and despite the fact that we were working on the edge of a 60 foot drop, this did not deter the Captain in his efforts to release this man.’

Sidney Cyril Coomber was born at Catford, London, on 10 September 1916 and joined the Metropolitan Police Force on 27 April 1936. Serving as a Police Constable with the Criminal Investigation Department, he was awarded the George Medal for his gallantry in saving life following an air raid on the Church Army Hostel, Paddington, on the night of 16-17 April 1941. Despite being in a reserved occupation, he joined the Royal Navy on 5 May 1943, and served during the latter stages of the Second World War at sea, being advanced Acting Regulating Petty Officer on 23 April 1945. He was shore released on 15 May 1946, and returned to the Metropolitan Police. He was promoted 2nd Class Sergeant on 28 June 1948, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 22 July 1958. He retired to pension on 30 April 1961, and died at Didcot, Oxfordshire, on 25 January 2005.

Sold together with a certificate from the Royal Society of St. George, dated 10th September 1941; the recipient’s Metropolitan Police certificate of service; and copied research.