Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:
A scarce K.P.M. group of five to Superintendent W. T. Emanuel, Metropolitan Fire Brigade
King’s Police Medal, E.VII.R. (Supt. W. T. Emanuel, London F.B.) name corrected; Jubilee 1897, L.C.C.M.F.B. (W. T. Emanuel) renamed; Coronation 1902 (2), L.C.C.M.F.B. (William T. Emanuel); Metropolitan Fire Brigade Bravery Medal, 1st type (William T. Emanuel) silver; Metropolitan Fire Brigade L.S. & G.C. Medal (William T. Emanuel) bronze, good very fine

Three: Sub Officer W. T. E. Emanuel, London Fire Brigade
Coronation 1902, L.C.C.M.F.B. (William T. E. Emanuel); Coronation 1911, London Fire Brigade (Fireman W. T. E. Emanuel); London Fire Brigade Good Service Medal, 1st type (Sub Officer W. T. E. Emanuel) very fine and better (8) £1,400-£1,800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Fire Brigade Medals.

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William Thomas Emanuel joined the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in December 1878 and passed through all the grades until he attained the rank of Superintendent in 1905. On 6 September 1880, when as 4th Fireman attached to the Chandos Street Fire Station, Charing Cross, he performed acts of great bravery for which he was awarded the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Bravery Medal. On that occasion, a great fire had broken out in a high four floored house in Shorts Gardens, Drury lane. On his arrival with the fire escape apparatus he learned that there were still people on the top floor. Although the first floor was well alight, he ascended to the top floors, where he found a woman and a child lying close to the windows in a partially suffocated state. He succeeded in rescuing them by means of the fire escape apparatus and then made a further search and discovered a man on the same floor in the same semi-conscious condition. After rescuing the man he made a further search, by which time the two lower floors were belching flames. Then the crowd raised the alarm that there were people at the back of the building. Emanuel descended and taking a short ladder, made his way to a yard to the rear where he found a man, aged over 70 years, partially paralysed, unconscious and burned. After some difficulties he managed to get the man to safety. After the fire had been brought under control it was ascertained that two people had died in the basement. For his great service over the years, Superintendent Emanuel was awarded the K.P.M. in 1909 (London Gazette 9 September 1909).

William Thomas Emanuel died at Gorleston aged 50 years, after 30 years service in the Metropolitan and London Fire Brigades. He had five sons and two daughters. Three of his sons were in the London Fire Brigade and also one of his brothers.

With two newspaper clippings - one bearing a photo of him wearing his Jubilee Medal 1897 and the two Metropolitan Fire Brigade Medals. With copied gazette extracts.