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Gallantry | ||
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Awards for Gallantry
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Joseph Shanley |
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Edward Medal | |||
| Date: | 22 Aug 1947 | ||
| Colliery: | Louisa Colliery | ||
| Occupation: | Deputy | ||
Award of Edward Medals
Whitehall, July 4, 1948.
The King has been pleased to award the Edward Medal in Silver to William Younger, Joseph Shanley, Harry Robinson and John Hutchinson in recognition of their gallantry in the following circumstances —
Shortly before midnight on the 22nd August, 1947, a serious explosion of fire damp and coal dust occurred in the Louisa Old Section of Louisa Colliery, Durham. William Younger, Joseph Shanley and Harry Robinson, Deputies, who with an intimate knowledge of the main roads and ventilating circuits of the mine could have made their way quite easily to safety, went instantly to the scene of the disaster, where they were soon joined by John Hutchinson, Overman, who came down from the surface. Twenty-four persons, all of whom were incapacitated either by injuries or carbon-monoxide poisoning were in the district at the time. Nineteen of them died and but for the prompt and continuous heroic work performed by Younger, Shanley, Robinson and Hutchinson, who voluntarily faced conditions of acute danger for a period of 1½ hours, there can be little doubt that not one would have survived.
The circumstances and conditions would have tested the courage, and endurance of the bravest and strongest. The atmosphere was so thick that the beams of the cap lamps could penetrate only a foot or so which meant that the rescuers could do nothing to guard against danger from falls of ground, a very real danger after an explosion, and the road in places was almost completely blocked by tubs derailed by blast.
Five of the injured were brought out alive from the affected workings, two of them died later in hospital and three recovered.
Source: London Gazette (20 Jul 1948)
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
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| Debbie Shanley | 12 Feb 2018 |
I am researching the Shanley family tree for my husband Martin Shanley who I believe is the grandson of said Joseph Shanley. My husband's father, also a Joseph Shanley, was born 12 January 1915 in Tanfield. |
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