outstanding second war george medal awarded to engine driver during air raid TO BE OFFERED AT NOONANS

An outstanding Second War George Medal awarded to Archibald Cook, an Engine Driver with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company, for his gallantry during an enemy air raid near Duddeston, Birmingham, on July 30, 1942, will be included in the sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria at Noonans Mayfair on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The lot also includes the recipient’s silver pocket watch and is being offered by a private collector who has had it many may years. It is estimated at £4,000-5,000.

Christopher Mellor-Hill, Head of Client Liaison at Noonans added: “When incendiary bombs set fire to his train which was carrying high explosives - although wounded by a splinter shell, Mr Cook, who was born near the site of the air raid, at Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham, on January 19, 1905 showed immense gallantry when he succeeded in uncoupling the carriages on fire before driving the rest of the train to safety, all the while fully aware of the danger from the explosives to which he was exposed.”

He continued: “The George Medal was introduced in September 1940 by King George VI as an award normally to civilians for gallantry.”

As George C Curnock adds in his book Heroes of Road and Rail ‘Driver Archibald Cook, with a trainload of munitions behind him, 600 tons of high explosives packed in 50 freight vans, was making all the speed he could to reach an ordnance depot during the night, when he found the signal outside a large town against him. Already he had watched the fall of incendiaries and the bursting of anti-aircraft shells.’