The medal was awarded only for acts of great bravery and was intended primarily for civilians. Awards to the military were confined to actions for which purely military honours were not normally granted and awarded for actions not in the face of the enemy.

Section Leader A.H.G. BRUNGES

Patrol Leader C.W.L. TOZER

2nd Birmingham Battalion
[Later 22nd Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion]
"On the 26th October 1940 a bomb explosion caused the destruction of a public shelter. Section Leader Brunges and Patrol Leader Tozer showed the utmost bravery and devotion to duty in going to the assistance of a considerable number of persons who were trapped in the debris. The work of rescue seemed hopeless as the basement was filling rapidly with water. Loose beams had to be removed where possible but this was highly dangerous owing to the possibility of huge blocks of concrete from the floor above becoming dislodged. Section Leader Brunges and Patrol Leader Tozer took the risk of moving these beams without a moment's thought for their own safety. The debris they removed with their hands, mostly under water and in kneeling or half laying positions.
"heavy bombs were falling in the vicinity, but work was carried on until between fifteen and twenty persons had been extricated, about half of them still being alive. It was not until it was impossible to discover any further victims that Section Leader Brunges and Patrol Leader Tozer gave up their work of rescue."
L.G. 30.ix.1941
Source: The Times 1.x.1941
Investiture: 29.ix.1942

Volunteer A.W. BAILEY

6th Birmingham (Factories) Battalion
[Later 26th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion]
"On the night of 19th November 1940 Volunteer Bailey was due to report for duty with B.S.A.Guns Ltd. Home Guard at 9.30 p.m. Hearing bombs, however, he arrived at about 7.00 p.m. and remained on duty helping to deal with incendiary bombs. At about 9.00 p.m. he reached the unit headquarters where he met an officer who called for volunteers to rescue people trapped under the debris of a building that had suffered direct hits by bombs. He first helped to rescue a Home Guard and later, with another Home Guard, got out two workmen from the same place. He then went to the other side of the debris and helped out a man and then a girl. He then tried to crawl into the building through a hole but was obstructed by some concrete. On attempting to knock a hole through the concrete he found that a girder prevented further progress. An oxy-acetylene cutter was used to cut through the girder and a girl and four men were released one at a time. A fierce fire was burning inside and was being fought from outside but Bailey held up a piece of concrete with his raised arms for some time and was saturated with oil and water. He finally collapsed near the entrance to the hole and was taken home in an ambulance."
L.G. 11.ii.1941
Source: Birmingham Gazette 12.ii.1941; The Times 12.ii.1941
Investiture: 18.vii.1941

Platoon Commander T. SIMPSON

6th Birmingham (Factories) Battalion
[Later 26th Warwickshire (Birmingham) Battalion]
"On the night of 11th December 1940 Platoon Commander Simpson actively assisted in rescuing several persons who were trapped beneath debris when an A.R.P. depot was hit. he had to crawl through debris with men supporting props and there was great danger of other parts of the building collapsing on him. He managed to saw through steel pipes and removed debris which was lying across trapped persons. He showed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty."
L.G. 27.v.1941
Source: The Times 28.v.1941
Investiture: 10.iii.1942
Note:

Platoon Commander R. HAIGH

9th BIRMINGHAM (PUBLIC UTILITIES) BATTALION
[later 29th WARWICKSHIRE (BIRMINGHAM) BATTALION]
"At about eight p.m. on 22nd November 1940 a number of incendiary bombs fell on the Wagon Repair Shops and on Washwood Heath Gas Works. Haigh was P 19 Company Duty Officer and after one or two small fires in P 19 area had received attention, he proceeded, with Volunteer S. A. Tyler, to the Gas Works. They found two fires in the coal stack and extinguished them. Two smoke screen containers had been ignited and were burning with considerable flame. These, in the absence of equipment for dealing with oil fires, were extinguished with some difficulty. There was a plume of flame in the crown of one gasholder; at the time the crown on the gasholder was some 200 feet high. Haigh, taking the initiative and with three other men, ascended to the crown of the holder carrying sacks, and after considerable effort extinguished the fire and partially stopped the escape of gas with bags and clay. Another aperture in the crown of the holder, through which gas was escaping but not burning, was dealt with in the same way. No protective equipment was carried. The raid was still in progress, with bombs dropping in the vicinity, and the flame from the holder must have provided a continuous beacon. The action taken by Haigh and the other three men not only promptly removed the beacon, but also saved a considerable quantity of gas from escaping."
L.G. 11.ii.1941
Source: The Times 12.ii.1941
Investiture: 18.vii.1941

Platoon Commander R. E. COOKE

F7 (AUSTIN AERO ENGINE CO LTD) COMPANY, BIRMINGHAM ZONE
[later part of 43rd WARWICKSHIRE (BIRMINGHAM) BATTALION]
"On 28th October 1940 a 550-Ib bomb with delayed action fuse was located at the factory of Messrs. Burman Ltd., Hyland Road, Birmingham and the clock was found to be still ticking. The bomb had been down for approximately 45 hours and from experience an explosion was considered so imminent as to justify withdrawal of the working party. An attempt to remove the fuse failed and the officers concerned, together with Cooke, who was present the whole time, withdrew to consider the matter. "In view of the importance of the factory it was decided to attack the fuse a second time using a heavy crowbar. Three people were necessary and Cooke volunteered to make up the party. This time the fuse was partially removed but the ticking clock and the detonators still remained intact. It was then decided to flood the pit in an endeavour to stop the clock and Cooke's assistance again proved invaluable in what turned out to be a successful operation. The bomb was safely removed."
L.G. 11.iii.1941
Source: P.R.O.-Air 2/9504
Investiture: 29.vii.1941

Lieutenant H. W. ROXBURGH

7th DEVONSHIRE (OKEHAMPTON) BATTALION
"On 6th June 1943 at Hele Bridge Rifle Range, Hatherleigh, this officer made a faulty throw with a No.36 grenade, which fell close to the pit. Thinking that the lives of others might be endangered, he immediately picked up the grenade, which exploded in his hand. As a result he lost his right hand and left arm."
L.G. 10.iii.1944
Source: H.G.I.C. No.48-24.v.1944/P.R.O.-Air 2/9001
Investiture: 24.x.1944

Platoon Commander A. R. BALLANTYNE

2nd DUMBARTONSHIRE BATTALION
"On the night of 13th/14th March 1941, while on Home Guard duty in Singer's factory, Clydebank, during an intense air raid, Platoon Commander Ballantyne took command of all available Home Guards. Large quantities of incendiary and high explosive bombs were failing and he organised the fire-fighting with an utter disregard for his own safety. He then found a timber yard ablaze and personally assisted the Works Firemaster to carry hoses into the heart of the fire. Later, the Shipping Department took fire and he entered the building at great risk to himself and fought the fire. At 5.00 a.m. on 14th March, when the building containing the rifles, automatic weapons and ammunition of the Home Guard caught fire, he succeeded in saving all the weapons and practically all the ammunition. The factory was the focal point of this exceptionally heavy raid which was repeated on the following night.
"During both periods, in spite of extreme fatigue, he displayed conspicuous courage, energy and determination in the face of great danger and was an inspiring example to his men."
L.G. 8.vii.1941
Source: The Times 9.vii.1941
Investiture: 8.xii.1942

Volunteer S. J. FERGUSON

1st BATTALION 'K' ZONE, LONDON
[later 12th CITY OF LONDON (BARKING AND ILFORD) BATTALION]
"On the night of 17th/18th October 1940 during a heavy enemy attack from the air, in the Barking area, Volunteer Ferguson, who was on duty at his company headquarters, proceeded to a group of houses which had received direct hits.
"It was reported to him that a woman - a resident of one of the houses - was imprisoned under the wreckage. Despite the fact that the walls of the dwelling were collapsing, he made his way without hesitation into the ruins and found a woman bleeding from a severed artery. Ferguson at once applied first aid amid the flames of incendiary bombs and gave every help to her, at risk of his own life. He remained beside her until it was possible to remove her for conveyance to hospital."
L.G. 11.ii.1941
Source: The Times 12.ii.1941
Investiture: 25.vii.1941

Volunteer D. LAZARUS

2nd BATTALION 'H' ZONE, LONDON
"During an enemy air raid in the Aldgate district Volunteer Lazarus, a Home Guard aged 17, was on his way to report for duty when a bomb fell on a block of tenement flats. The explosion caused great havoc and the building was reduced to ruins. Masonry and other debris was falling continuously but Volunteer Lazarus, with complete disregard for his own safety, entered the ruins and began to remove quantities of wreckage with his hands in order to get to four people who were imprisoned. He managed to bring them all out, despite the fact that he had already sustained injuries. Instead of seeking first aid for himself, however, he made an attempt to rescue a fifth occupant of the flats, but a wall collapsed and buried him. He was taken to hospital suffering from multiple injuries to the head, arms and body."
L.G. 11.ii.1941
Source: The Times 12.ii.1941
Investiture: 18.vii.1941

Volunteer W. T. WHITLOCK

L.M.S. RAILWAY UNIT, EUSTON
[later 37th COUNTY OF LONDON (L.M.S. EUSTON) BATTALION]
"On 19th October 1940 a building [Hampstead Heath Station] received two direct hits from high explosive bombs. Volunteer Whitlock, who was on Home Guard duty, received severe injuries to an arm, leg and side; his eyes were also injured by the blast. He was thrown more than twenty feet and over a wall but, ignoring his injuries, he made his way back to the offices which had been wrecked. At great personal risk he pulled his section leader from the wreckage, thus saving his life."
L.G. 29.iv.1941
Source: The Times 30.iv.1941/Graves
Investiture: 15.vii.1941

Company Sergeant-Major J. A. LESLIE

6th SOMERSET (BATH-ADMIRALTY) BATTALION
"Company Sergeant-Major Leslie showed outstanding courage and personal bravery in rescue work during the night of 26th/27th April 1942, and in the following days at Bath. The Regina Hotel had been hit and although the raid was still in progress he made his way into the basement through a small hole which allowed only one man to enter at a time, and himself rescued a number of people. A woman was trapped by falling masonry and hanging by her knees. Company Sergeant-Major Leslie supported her for a considerable time while other men worked at the masonry to release her. During this time there was such danger that both might be killed by failing masonry that they were covered with a sheet so that they could not see the blocks if they fell. There was imminent danger of fire and at one period Company Sergeant-Major Leslie had to be doused with water to prevent his clothes catching fire, but throughout it all he never wavered. During the same night Company Sergeant-Major Leslie swarmed up the side of a shop and tore down the blazing shop blind and fixture in an attempt to prevent the spread of fire after the firemen had given up the task as hopeless."
L.G. 3.xii.1942
Source: Bath and Wilts Chronicle and Herald 4.xii.1942
Investiture: 16.iii. 1943

Section Leader A. H. TILYARD-BURROWS

VICKERS ARMSTRONG AIRCRAFT FACTORY UNIT, WEYBRIDGE
[later part of 10th SURREY (VICKERS ARMSTRONG) BATTALION;
then part of 3rd SURREY (WEYBRIDGE) BATTALION]
"On the morning of 21st September 1940 at about 08.30 hours the Vickers Aircraft Factory at Weybridge was attacked by an enemy aircraft. Three bombs were dropped, two of which exploded, doing slight damage. The other, a 500-lb. bomb, penetrated the factory roof, passed through a wall at the end and came to rest on the concrete driveway outside the erecting shed, having failed to explode. As the explosion of the bomb at the position where it rested would have caused considerable damage, its immediate removal was a matter of national importance. Lieutenant J. M. S. Patton, Royal Canadian Engineers, undertook to remove the bomb to a place of comparative safety and Section Leader Tilyard-Burrows together with Volunteers W. J. Avery, E. A. Maslyn and C. E. Chaplin, with complete disregard of personal safety and having no previous experience of handling unexploded bombs, immediately volunteered to assist.
"The bomb was lashed to a sheet of corrugated iron, attached to a truck by wire cable and towed to a crater about 200 yards away where it could do no harm. The task was accomplished in little more than half-an-hour from the time the bomb had fallen. The bomb exploded the following morning.
"Throughout the operation these men displayed cool courage of the highest order and contributed largely to the removal of a serious threat to the production of this factory."
L.G. 22.i.1941
Source: P.R.O.-Air 2/9537
Investiture: 18.vii.1941
Notes: Lieutenant J. M. S. Patton was awarded the George Cross and Captain D. W. C. Cunnington, also of the Royal Canadian Engineers, the George Medal for their gallantry on this occasion (L.G. 13.xii.1940).
Section Leader Tilyard-Burrows subsequently enlisted in the Royal Engineers and served as 14404353, Lance-Corporal with 858 Quarrying Company. He lost his life on 27th July 1944 in Normandy and, having no known grave, is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial.

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