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Gallantry | ||
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Awards for Gallantry
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George Edward Pilgrim |
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Edward Medal | |||
| Date: | 23 Oct 1920 | ||
| Colliery: | Stratford Station | ||
| Occupation: | |||
Whitehall, 26th February 1921.
His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to award the Edward Medal to ...
Also the Edward Medal to George Edward Pilgrim:—
On 23rd October 1920, while a number of passengers were waiting at Stratford Station on the Great Eastern Railway for a train to Liverpool Street, it became known that the earliest train would start from another platform, and many of them, instead of using the subway, proceeded to cross the metals. Three sets of rails separated the platforms, and among the last to cross was a woman accompanied by her child. As she was crossing the centre track she saw an express train approaching, and thinking that the train was going straight through the station on the centre line of the rails, she rushed across to the edge of the platform where she thought she would be safe. The train, however, did not go through, but was diverted at the points, and came down the line of rails on which the woman was standing, as it was intended to stop at the platform alongside.
Pilgrim, a railway porter in the service of the Great Eastern Railway, was on the platform and realised the dangerous situation of the woman and child. The woman, too, saw the danger, but became terrified and clung to the edge of the platform. The train reached a point about fifty yards from the woman when Pilgrim leapt from the platform on the line and dragged the woman and child, by main force, across the permanent way and out of danger. The driver of the train applied his brakes with such force that the train parted in the middle, and the engine was not brought to a standstill until it had reached a spot ten yards past the place where the woman had been clinging to the platform. All three persons concerned had a very narrow escape from death, or, at any rate, severe injury. Pilgrim fully realised the danger and, disregarding any consequences to himself, jumped literally in front of the engine and dragged away the stupefied woman and her little girl. But for his prompt and courageous action they could not possibly have escaped.
Source: Edinburgh Gazette (04 Mar 1921)
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