Durham Mining Museum - Awards for Gallantry (original) (raw)
Awards for Gallantry
 |
Samuel Birnie |  |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Medal | ||
| Date: | 11 May 1910 | |
| Colliery: | Wellington Pit | |
| Occupation: | Deputy | |
Award of Edward Medals
Whitehall, July 22, 1910.
The King has been pleased to award a bar to the Edward Medal of the First Class, which he already holds, to
John Henry Thorne,
the Edward Medal of the First Class to
James Littlewood,
and the Edward Medal of the Second Class to
| Richard Walker Moore, Mining Engineer. |
|---|
| Robert Richmond Blair, Engineer and Assistant General Manager. |
| Robert Steel, Manager (Wellington Pit). |
| Samuel Turner, Manager (William Pit). |
| James Henry, Under Manager (Wellington Pit). |
| Daniel Benn, Rope Splicer (Wellington Pit). |
| John Whillans, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| James Dunlop, Master Wasteman (Wellington Pit). |
| William John Henry, Master Shifter (Wellington Pit). |
| John Fearon, Shiftman (Wellington Pit). |
| Matthew Walsh. Shiftman (Wellington Pit). |
| John Graham, Overman, (Wellington Pit). |
| Thomas Graham, Overman (Wellington Pit). |
| William Campbell, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| Thomas Swinburne, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| James Coulthard, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| David Devine, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| John Wilson, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| Matthew Wilson, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| John Pearson, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| John Quayle, Deputy (Wellington Pit). |
| James Knox, Shiftman (Wellington Pit). |
| William Ball, Shiftman (Wellington Pit). |
| James Wren, Rope Splicer (Wellington Pit). |
| Charles Gibson, Driftman (Wellington Pit). |
| William Hoskin, Driftman (Wellington Pit). |
| Christopher Gregory, Fireman (Wellington Pit). |
| Robert McDonald, Fireman (Wellington Pit). |
| John Henry Parker, Under-Manager (Ladysmith Pit). |
| Ernest William Oswald, Shiftman (William Pit). |
| John Batty, Overman (Ladysmith Pit). |
| John Smith, Overman (Ladysmith Pit). |
| John Rothery, Under-Manager (William Pit). |
| John Rothery. Overman (William Pit). |
| Wilson Graham, Overman (William Pit). |
| Thomas Cannon, Deputy (William Pit). |
| James McKenzie, Deputy (William Pit). |
| Samuel Birnie, Deputy (William Pit). |
| Isaac Graham, Shiftman (William Pit). |
| Adam McKee, Deputy (William Pit). |
| John Hanlon, Miners' Agent. |
| John Thomas Mather, Collier and Wellington Pit Delegate. |
| Archibald Thom, jun., Manager, Moresby Colliery. |
| Thomas Banks, Under-Manager, Moresby Colliery. |
| Andrew Millar, Manager, Lowca Colliery. |
| Dr. Charles Joshua Joseph Harris, Whitehaven (Colliery Doctor). |
| John Graham, Deputy (William Pit). |
On the 11th May, 1910, a terrible fire occurred in the Wellington Pit, Whitehaven, at a point about 4,500 yards from the shafts. Various rescue parties, with great courage and self-devotion and at considerable risk, descended the mine and endeavoured to extinguish the fire and penetrate to the persons in the workings beyond the same. Thorne and Littlewood, fitted with breathing apparatus, reached within a distance of 150 yards of the fire, but were driven back by the great heat and effusion of gases. The others got to within about 300 yards of the fire, working in the smoke backing from the fire. It was found impossible to penetrate to the scene of the fire or to rescue any of the entombed miners.
Had an explosion occurred — a by no means unlikely eventuality, seeing that the mine is a very gassy one — they would undoubtedly all have been killed.
Special gallantry was shown by John Henry Thorne, to whom the Edward Medal of the First Class has already been awarded, and by James Littlewood.
Source: London Gazette (22 Jul 1910)
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