Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

I.C.I. Gold Medal for Conspicuous Bravery, obverse: ‘Awarded for Bravery’ with a lion rampant bearing the letters, ‘I.C.I.’; reverse inscription raised letters (name, locality and date engraved), ‘Presented to Robert Little by Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd for Conspicuous Bravery at Blackley Works on 11th January 1939’, 38 x 26mm., 9ct. gold, hallmarks for Birmingham 1938, complete with hallmarked gold brooch bar ‘Fortis’, extremely fine, rare £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Life Saving, Police and Fire Brigade Medals from the James N Spencer Collection.

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Ex Christies 25 April 1992, lot 195.

Robert Stead Little G.C. (1892-1976) served during the Great War as a Private in the Lancashire Fusiliers. Employed at the Blackley Works, Manchester, he was awarded the Edward Medal in Bronze (London Gazette 5 May 1939).

‘On 11th January 1939, a fitter engaged in repairs in a chemical reaction pan at the works of the British Dystuffs Corporation at Blackley, Manchester, fell into the pan. Little who was charge of the shift, was called and while rescue apparatus was being brought, he descended into the pan at great risk to himself and carried his unconscious fellow-worker up the ladder. Unfortunately, however, another man who had started to go down the manhole collapsed on top of Little and the rescued man, knocking them both to the bottom where all three remained unconscious. The rescue party then arrived and brought to safety. Two of them were dead but Little recovered.’

Little was also awarded the Carnegie Medal. In 1973 he exchanged his Edward Medal for the George Cross.