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Auction: 11010 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 307

South Kirby, Featherstone, and Hemsworth Collieries Bravery Medal, bronze, portrait of George V in naval uniform on obverse, reverse engraved ´Awarded for Bravery in the South Kirby Mine, February 1922´, edge engraved ´William Jenkinson.´, nearly extremely fine, rare, in Fattorini & Sons, London, case of issue Estimate £ 250-300 Mr. William Jenkinson was awarded the South Kirby, Featherstone, and Hemsworth Collieries Bravery Medal for gallantry during a rescue on the 11th February, 1922, at the South Kirby Mine, near Barnsley, Yorkshire. For this action miners William Humphries and George Smith were awarded the Edward Medal in Bronze. E.M. London Gazette 27.6.1922 William Humphries, deputy at the South Kirby Colliery, Yorkshire, and George Smith, overman at the same Colliery ´A workman named Creighton, employed in a seam of the South Kirby Colliery, Yorkshire, was completely buried by a fall of roof on 11th February 1922. Several miners who were at work near the spot, came to the rescue, among them Humphries and Smith. The imprisoned man´s head and shoulders were soon freed, but owing to the pressure of debris on the lower part of his body and legs, it was impossible to pull him clear, while, so fast as earth was removed, more slipped down in its place. The rescue party placed sleepers across the body of the imprisoned man, thus preventing him being completely engulfed by the debris, and eventually a passage was made under the sleepers over Creighton´s body, which was unhurt with the exception of one foot which was firmly pinned down by a large stone. The foot was eventually released and the man freed after eight and a half hours work. All the men who took part in the rescue were exposed to great risk for a prolonged period, and behaved with great gallantry and devotion to duty, but Humphries and Smith were unanimously selected by their comrades as having specially distinguished themselves.´ Provenance: Dix, Noonan, Webb, June 2000.

Sold for
£210