Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second War 1941 ‘London Blitz’ G.M. awarded to George Davis, a Trunks Mains Inspector for the Gas, Light & Coke Co. Ltd. whose gallant deeds were enacted amidst ‘a rain of incendiary bombs’ - and within 15 yards of an UXB - at Ilford, just to the north of London’s East End, on the night of 19 March 1941: to date the heaviest raid mounted by the Luftwaffe - with a resultant loss of ‘some 750 lives’ - the catastrophic events of the 19th were simply recalled as “The Wednesday”

George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (George Davis), in its card box of issue, extremely fine £2000-3000

G.M. London Gazette 11 July 1941. The joint citation states:
‘During an air raid gas mains were fractured. Bradley and Davis, followed by Bell and Potts, drove through a rain of incendiary bombs to the spot. The ignited gas rose in a column of flame which swayed across the road, and buildings on both sides were alight. It was necessary to shut down the valves of two mains. The men travelled back to the valve on one main and shut it. In order to keep vitally important industrial areas supplied, they changed over the high-pressure supply of gas. They were warned that a time bomb lay not far from the valve of the second main. The area was unsafe and all the people around had been moved out. Nevertheless, the valve was successfully closed, but it was realised that unless still another valve was closed the flames could not be extinguished. This lay within fifteen yards of the time bomb. All four men fully realised the grave risk that they ran, but without hesitation, and although H.E. bombs continued to fall in the surrounding streets, they went ahead and completed the task.’

After dark on the night of Wednesday 19 March 1941, the Luftwaffe launched a massive attack on London, 479 aircraft delivering 470 tonnes of H.E. bombs and 122,000 incendiaries. ‘News came through to one of the Divisional Headquarters that a 48-inch gas main was broken and on fire. The Fire Brigade are unable to put it out without help from the Gas Company, and so four men, Mr. E. F. Bradley, the Assistant Mains Superintendent; Mr. G. Davis, the Trunk Mains Inspector; and Messrs C. J. Bell and N. J. Potts, Valve Locators, set off in Mr. Davis’ car. The men drove as fast as they could through showers of fire bombs. Although it was a dark night, so many incendiaries fell that for two hours it would have been possible to read a newspaper by the light of them. They arrived at the scene to find that flames were leaping from 50 to 60 feet into the air and had caught the buildings on both sides of the road alight: bombs were falling and the men had continually to fling themselves to the ground. It was necessary to close two valves. Having shut one the men were on the point of starting out to close the other 200 yards away, when the Home Guard and the Police warned them against attempting it because an unexploded bomb lay less than 20 yards from the valve. The area was unsafe and all the people round about had been moved out. However, not one of the four men hesitated. Unless the valve was closed the flames could not be controlled, and this must be done whatever the risk. The valve was closed. By this time so many H.E.s had fallen in the surrounding streets that the roads were blocked and Davis’s car had to be partly forced and partly lifted over the debris. Altogether the job took one and a half hours, but the men lost all account of time and grimly stuck it until they had finished. All four men were awarded the George Medal’ (Gas, Light & Coke Company’s Co-partners’ Magazine, July-August 1941 edition refers).

The attack lasted from 2010 to 0158 hours and, in the opinion of some of the most experienced Luftwaffe crews, was the greatest yet achieved. In addition to ‘some 750’ fatalities, a further 1,100 people were seriously injured.