Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Medal for Saving Life from Fire, 44mm., silver struck medal, obverse engraved, ‘For Saving Life from Fire’; reverse engraved, ‘To James Neil of Blackburn, the 5 Year Old Hero, presented by an admirer B. Rd. Isaac of Liverpool, Vice-President of the London Private Fire Brigade Association, May God Spare You, A Good and Honorable Man, Sep. 1904’, with fixed ring suspension, nearly extremely fine £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Life Saving Awards.

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‘The brave act of the little five-year-old boy, James Nield (sic), who, on the 25th September saved the life of his baby brother on the occasion of a fire which occurred at the house of his parents, 5 Angela Street, Livesey, has not been allowed to pass unnoticed. It will be remembered that during the night time, while the father was at work and the mother was out nursing a sick relative, the house took fire. The children awoke and found the room filling with smoke. James went downstairs and into the yard, but hearing his brother crying he returned to the house and brought him out. Together they stood in an outbuilding, where a neighbour found them. The house was gutted. Inspector Sumpson, of the Corporation Fire Brigade, interested himself in the little hero, and the case was brought under the notice of Mr B. R. Isaac, of Liverpool, vice-president of the London Private Fire Brigade Association, who was so impressed with the nobility of the act that he decided to reward the boy. ......’ (ref: The Blackburn Times, 5 November 1904). With a copy of the full extract.