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Gallantry | ||
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Awards for Gallantry
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Thomas Russell |
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George Medal | |||
| Date: | 1950 | ||
| Colliery: | Blantyreferme Colliery | ||
| Occupation: | Fitter (Engineer) | ||
Awarded the George Medal:—
Thomas Russell, Fitter (Engineer), Blantyreferme Colliery, Scottish Division, National Coal Board. (Bothwell, Lanarkshire.)
A large fire occurred at Blantyreferme Colliery which spread so rapidly that the whole of the pithead structure was endangered. An endeavour was made to get into communication with the men at work underground but the telephone connecting them had been put out of action. The only shaft available was damaged by the fire but in spite of this Russell descended in the cage, parts of which were already too hot to touch, to the working level some 800 feet below the surface, to warn the Undermanager of the serious fire on the surface. By the time he reached the bottom one of the ropes had been burned through, putting the cage out of action. The men were led to a point in the workings some three quarters of a mile distant where it was possible for a Pit Rescue Brigade to cut a way through from an adjacent colliery. All the men were safely brought to the surface five hours after the outbreak of the fire.
Russell displayed great courage and devotion to duty, without thought of self, in descending the shaft in a burning cage to give warning to those underground.
Source: London Gazette (28 Nov 1950)
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| Researchers | |
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| Researcher | Date | Interest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| julie-ann russell | 26 Nov 2012 |
this is my grandad |
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