Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A posthumous Carnegie Hero Fund Medallion awarded to Charleas Thompson who lost his life while attempting to save that of a boy who drowning in a clay pit in Trafford Park, Manchester

Carnegie Hero Fund Medallion, bronze, 90mm. (Charles Thompson, Pendleton, 5th August 1912) edge bruising, very fine £800-900

‘On 5th August, 1912, Harold Robert Hall, 6 years of age, his little brother, and two boy friends, left their homes to fish in some pits, or ponds, between Old Trafford and Stretford, near Manchester.

In the course of their wanderings they came to the claypit in Mr Harrison’s Brickworks at Stretford, which was filled with water, fourteen feet deep, and whose sides were sheer, at the edge, offering no foothold. The boys were trespassing, needless to say. The three elder boys had jumped across, near its outlet, a ‘grip,’ or narrow ditch, which conveys the surface water from the surrounding land to the clay-pits, but the little lad, Harold, in attempting to follow their example, slipped on the edge of the ‘grip’ through the edge being very slippery owing to the recent rains, fell on the bank of the clay-pit, and rolled into the deep water. The ‘grip’ was very narrow, and could, in ordinary circumstances, have been safely jumped across by a boy 6 years old. The other boys attempted to reach Harold, but the latter, being five feet away from the bank of the clay-pit, they failed in their efforts. They then called for help.

Charles Thompson, who was working close by, on Mr Harrison’s brickworks, outside, hearing their calls, immediately ran to the clay-pit. He at once plunged into the water - though there was no evidence that he could swim. Thompson managed to reach the lad, and was seen to get hold of him, but either the lad impeded Thompson’s efforts to save his life by struggling, or whether Thompson could not swim, there was no evidence to show. They both sank, and, on re-appearing on the surface, Thompson did call out to the lads on the bank to run for further help, which eventually came, but by that time both Thompson and the little boy Harold had finally disappeared below the surface. Both bodies were recovered by the police by dragging operations, five yards away from the bank of the clay-pit, after being in the water for forty miniutes. Artificial respiration was tried in Thompson’s case for an hour, but without success. (Taken from the coroner’s report).

Charles Thompson, a Labourer, aged 32 years, came from 32 Birley Street, Pendleton, Salford. Carnegie Case No. 1169. With copied newspaper cuttings re. the inquest, coroner’s report and photographs of the relevant entry in the Roll of Honour.