Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Birmingham Blitz B.E.M. awarded to Fireman J.H. Meers, Auxiliary Fire Service

BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL (Civil) G.VI.R., for Meritorious Service (James Henry Meers) nearly extremely fine

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of the late Mike Minton.

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B.E.M., London Gazette, 29 August, 1941. The following recommendation was extracted from an official source: 'During the raid on the 9th/l0th April, Auxiliary Firemen Meers and Bennett were on duty at the Auxiliary Fire Service Sub Station on the premises of L.H. Newton & Co. Ltd., Bolt, Nut and Screw and Pressing Manufacturers of Thimblemill Lane, Birmingham. They had already dealt with a number of incendiary bombs which had penetrated the upper floor of a four storey block when an H.E. bomb pierced all four floors and exploded on the ground floor making a large hole and exposing part of a basement. The floors above the explosion were wrecked and set on fire and a large amount of heavy machinery fell through to the ground floor. Two men who were on the second floor at the time were killed and a third man, D. Murphy, who was working an operating machine, was blown by the blast through that floor and lodged across an exposed girder where he was in grave danger of being burnt to death. He did, in fact, receive extensive burns to the face, arms and body. Meers and Bennett, although badly shaken by the explosion, heard Murphy's cries for help and entered the burning portion of the Works in an endeavour to effect a rescue. Meers tried to make his way up the staircase, but this had collapsed under the weight of falling masonry. Bennett in the meantime had located Murphy. In his first attempt to reach him he was beaten back by the flames. He finally succeeded in reaching Murphy by climbing a girder and remained with him until Meers, having returned from the staircase, joined him and they then together succeeded in bringing the injured man to safety. The fire spread rapidly and involved the whole Works making it necessary to evacuate a large basement shelter housing 400 employees, several of whom had been injured and were receiving treatment in the first-aid department. Despite the intense heat and dense smoke, Meers and Bennett helped to remove these persons and later, hearing cries for help from the basement which had become charged with smoke, made another entry to guide our two men who were in difficulties. They then rejoined their A.F.S. colleagues and helped attack the fire. There can be no doubt that Meers and Bennett saved the life of Murphy and throughout showed the highest courage and disregard of their personal safety.'

Fireman W.W. Bennett was subsequently awarded the George Medal for his gallantry during this incident. The lot is sold with a quantity of original, contemporary letters concerning the incident and the award of the B.E.M. to Fireman Meers.