Deptford's and Lewisham's Local Heroes from the Blitz

A selection of local heroes from where I grew up that without doubt showed vast amounts of bravery and courage to help others in a time of need in South East London during the Blitz. Some giving their life so that others may live.

 

Albert Dolphin, from Boyland Road, Downham.

Albert, who sacrificed his life to save that of an injured nurse at the South Eastern Hospital by throwing himself across her when a roof collapsed.

Gazette:



17th January, 1941.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the GEORGE CROSS to: —

Albert Ernest Dolphin (deceased), Porter, South Eastern Hospital, New Cross.

A high explosive bomb fell on the kitchens of Ward Block I at the South Eastern
Hospital, killing four nurses who were in the ground floor kitchen and injuring the night Sister and patients in the adjoining ward. A nurse, who was in the ward kitchen on the first floor, was thrown through the collapsing floor into the passage below. Together with other helpers, Albert Ernest Dolphin, one of the porters of the hospital, rushed to the site and found her pinioned by a block of masonry across her legs. While they were working the wall was heard to crack and subsequently collapsed. The workers had ample time to jump clear before the masonry fell, but Dolphin remained where he was and his body was subsequently found lying face downwards across the nurse with his head towards the wall which collapsed on top of him. When found he was dead, but the nurse, who was subsequently extricated, was still alive, though severely injured. There is no doubt that Dolphin, although aware that the wall was about to collapse, deliberately remained where he was and threw himself across the nurse's body in an endeavour to protect her. This he succeeded in doing at the cost of his own life.

 

Bennie was a member of Lewisham rescue squad, who searched all-night while bombing was in progress for buried victims at Engleheart Road, Catford, though suffering from burns and electric shock and twice overcome by gas fumes. Was himself removed to hospital.

Gazette:

Awarded the George Medal: —


Bernard Joseph Bennie, Leader of A.R.P. Rescue Party, Lewisham.

Leader Bennie and his party were called out to an incident. Houses had been demolished by an H.E. bomb, and eight persons reported trapped. During the exploration of the ruins Leader Bennie received a severe electric shock, but got together his party and commenced rescue work. A heavy concentration of coal gas was 'present, -and soon Bennie was incapacitated. He was dragged out of the debris. After a short time the revived and again resumed his rescue work, until four persons were 'recovered alive. As it was known that four persons yet remained under the debris, the search continued, Bennie again being gassed and dragged out. During this time enemy planes were bombing and antiaircraft fire was intense. He showed a great spirit of determination and devotion to duty and was a fine example. A relief party ultimately recovered the remaining casualties.



This incident took place where I lived and I believe it may have well been my house on Engleheart Rd.

 

Brittan was a rescue worker from Milton Court Road, Deptford.

He tunnelled for five hours under debris during an all-night raid to rescue a baby and three adults. He was trapped himself at one point when a house roof collapsed but continued to direct the operation.

From The Times, Saturday, Apr 26, 1941

ALBERT WILLIAM BRITTAN, leader, A.R.P. rescue party, Greenwich.
Five people were trapped in a collapsed building. Brittan crawled through the wreckage and brought out a baby. He then moved a door and beams, found the mother and carried her out to safety. By crawling and forcing his way further, Brittan rescued one person and recovered the body of another. The roof of the adjoining house then collapsed and almost buried him. With disregard of his own safety he carried on and finally released the last casualty, a man who was pinned down by floor joists. Brittan was under the debris for five hours without relief and displayed initiative, resource, and a high courage. Through his exertions four persons were rescued alive.


Many thanks to Diane (dbf) for the citation from The Times.

 

Clarke was a Auxiliary Fireman from Bellingham.

Though he was off duty he worked for two hours under a demolished house in Morehead Road to extricate a trapped women, ignoring a powerful concentration of escaping gas in the narrow space which threatened both their lives.

The Times, Saturday, Aug 02, 1941

ALBERT WILLIAM CLARKE, Auxiliary Fireman, London A.F.S.

Clarke, who was not on duty, entered a wrecked house and found a trapped woman, but was himself trapped by falling debris. Although there was a strong concentration of coal gas, Clarke directed the operations of the rescue party.


Citation provided by Diane (dbf) - Many thanks.

 

Curtis was a AFS Section Officer. He was in charge of a team at a fire in Ilderton Road when he was knocked unconscious by a bomb blast. On recovering consciousness he insisted on resuming command of the firefighting and showed outstanding leadership.

Unfortuantely no citation listed.

 

Donno was a member of the Lewisham Rescue Squad. He rescued five people from devastated homes in Ladywell Park, during which time he was buried twice in the ruins. He was removed to hospital unconscious after being struck by falling debris.

Gazette:

John William Donno, Member, A.R.P. Rescue Party, Lewisham.

After the explosion of an enemy bomb, Donno displayed particularly fine courage and devotion to duty in effecting the rescue of four trapped casualties. Not being satisfied that all had been saved he caused some of the debris to be raised to enable him to crawl in and make a further search; this he did and discovered another casualty which was eventually rescued. During this latter operation Donno was himself trapped and buried, and upon being released was found to be injured and removed to hospital.

 

Rosser was awarded the George Medal for shielding a patient from falling debris with her own body. She then managed to help the patient to safety just before the ceiling crashed down onto the ward.

Gazette:

Ruby Eiryles Megan Rossef, Staff Nurse, Grove Park Hospital, Lee.

A high explosive, bomb struck' Grove Park Hospital. Nurse Ruby Rosser immediately rushed to the bedside of a patient and protected the body and injured head of the sick person from the falling debris. She remained at her post until it was possible for the patient and herself to be rescued through a window, despite the fact that the ceiling, together with the floor and equipment of the ward above, continued to fall-in to the room and there was obvious danger that the whole roof might collapse on top of them. By her brave action Nurse Rosser saved her charge from further serious injury.

 

Foley a Stoker at the Park Hospital in Hither Green.

Foley saved an injured nurse from being burned to death by climbing into the flames without regard for his own life and carrying her to safety.

Gazette:

John Richard Foley, Stoker, Park Hospital, Hither Green.

When the nurses sick room at the Park Hospital was hit by a high explosive bomb, the building collapsed almost entirely and caught fire. One of the two sick nurses in the building was seen hanging to a roof beam over a hole from which flames were issuing. She dropped into the debris below, being badly burned in so doing. Stoker Foley, at great personal risk, succeeded in reaching her and getting her to a place of safety. He found the second nurse trapped between beams, and with assistance, succeeded in extricating her. Foley showed complete disregard of danger. Debris of the building, which was still on fire, was falling from time to time and throughout portions of anti aircraft shell were falling in the vicinity.

 

PS. D. Grigg of 'P' Division, Catford, removed unexploded bombs by hand from a crashed Heinekel bomber at Bromley Common, where injured people were trapped under the wreckage and carried them across the A21 main road to open ground.

Gazette:

David Lionel Grigg, Police Sergeant, " P " Division, Metropolitan Police.

A German aeroplane crashed on two dwelling houses demolishing both and burying the residents. Four persons were rescued, slightly injured. Shortly afterwards, four more bombs were dropped nearby, only a few yards from the Police and Rescue Parties, causing them to suspend operations for a few minutes. When the rescue work was resumed, it was discovered that a number of bombs, several of which were still attached to parts of the machine, were amongst the debris. Two more persons were trapped underneath and it was necessary to remove the bombs before they could be extricated.

Police Sergeant Grigg volunteered to carry the bombs from the wrecked houses and removed three of them from the wreckage. He was about to return for a fourth when it was suspected that one or more were about to explode. Nevertheless, Grigg again entered the wreckage and removed the bomb. The Sergeant then crawled beneath the debris and located one of the trapped victims, who was eventually rescued. Grigg, who had no special knowledge of bombs, showed great courage and devotion to duty.

 

Fleming, a nurse at Grove Park Hospital.

Whe the hospital received a direct hit Fleming and another Nurse, Aileen Turner climbed up through the upper windows and crawled on their stomachs across a swaying floor in complete darkness to lead patients to safety.

Shortly afterwards the floor collapsed into the ward below. A third nurse Ruby Rosser, won the GM for shielding a patient from falling debris with her own body (See post 8).

Gazette: ?




BBC - WW2 People's War - Nurse Mary

 

Hoyle a rescue worker. During heavy bombing he laboured through the night after his period of duty had expired to rescue injured victims in the basement ruins of the Central Hall, Deptford.

Gazette:

Joseph Hoyle, Member of A.R.P. Rescue Party, Greenwich.

During an air raid a Hall was hit and a number of people were trapped in a cellar. The whole structure was in an exceedingly dangerous condition and bombs were constantly falling close by all through the night. Despite the fact that it appeared to be impossible to carry out rescue work in the darkness, J. Hoyle insisted on carrying on and worked in through a small aperture. After some hours, the efforts of Hoyle and others of his party resulted in three persons being rescued alive. All through this period Hoyle was aware that there was a likelihood that the whole structure would collapse on top of him but continued to work all night, showing an absolute disregard of his own personal safety. When the Hall was inspected in daylight it was found necessary to employ a special contractor to demolish a large part of the building, owing to the imminent danger of collapse. Hoyle showed an absolute disregard of his own safety in a position of grave danger and insisted on carrying on after his period of duty had expired.

 

Inglis a member of the Deptford Rescue Service. He rescued a number of people after tunnelling through two wrecked and gas filled basements in extremely hazardous conditions.


Gazette:

PETER JOHN ETHELBERT INGLIS, clerk of works, A.R.P. rescue service, Deptford.

A bomb exploded between two houses, forming a crater and throwing earth and debris over the respective basements, in which several people were trapped. A tunnel was made from the side of the crater into one of the basements. A serious danger was encountered by the uncovering of a live electric cable. This obstacle was negotiated and the work of tunnelling proceeded. The basement was filling with gas from a broken pipe, but two girls were successfully extricated. Operations to reach the casualties in the second basement were rendered more difficult by the unsound state of the walls. Inglis again started tunnelling and directed the careful removal of the heavier debris from above the trapped casualties. This basement was also filling with gas from a broken pipe. After 12 hours' extremely difficult and dangerous work, during the whole of which time a heavy air raid was in progress, seven persons were rescued.


Citation provided by Diane (dbf) -Many thanks.

 

Dr Knight was in charge of Deptford's mobile casualty unit in 1944-45. Th award was in recognition of his outstanding devotion to duty and indefatigable leadership in th treatment of hundreds of injured at all the major V2 incidents in the area.

No citation listed unfortunately

 

Turner, a nurse at Grove Park Hospital.

When the hospital received a direct hit Turner and another Nurse, Mary Fleming climbed up through the upper windows and crawled on their stomachs across a swaying floor in complete darkness to lead patients to safety.

Shortly afterwards the floor collapsed into the ward below. A third nurse Ruby Rosser, won the GM for shielding a patient from falling debris with her own body (See post 8).

Gazette:

 

Lloyd aged only 14, he burrowed out of the bombed basement of his home in Deptford and assisted his sisters to safety through the route he had made. He helped rescue workers to find his buried mother and to retrieve her body.

Gazette:?

Any info on this remarkable lad will be much appreciated.

 

Annie Wilkins of Cressingham Road, Lewisham was a Auxiliary Firewoman with Bessie Wulburn. They stayed on alone at the AFS sub-station in Bush Road in Bermondsey after it had been set alight by incendary bombs and continued to relay messages and direct fire crews to where they were needed. When they were ordered to leave the premises they thumbed a lift to Deptford Fire Station, where they attended blind and burned firemen who were laid out on the floor awaiting ambulances.

Gazette:

Annie Matilda Wilkins, Auxiliary, Women's Auxiliary Fire Service, London.

Bessie Constance Wulbern, Auxiliary, Women's Auxiliary Fire Service, London.

These women were alone in a sub-station while the immediate neighbourhood was being subjected to a most intensive bombing. Throughout they received and transmitted all their messages absolutely correctly, and reporting crews were sent to their correct fires with accuracy and despatch. When the station was struck by incendiary bombs and set on fire they reported this occurrence by telephone to the local station, and remained at their posts until the officer in charge arrived and ordered them to leave the station.

 

Harold Reed was the Deptford Town Clerk. Despite suffering serious facial wounds from flying splinters during the Blitz from which he never fully recovered, he continued with the onerous duties of his office until the war was over.

Unfortunately no citation listed.

 

Wood was part of the Downham Rescue Workers. He risked his life by crawling under destroyed houses in Downham Way to give drink and encouragement to trapped young children and later helped to bring them out.

Unfortunately no citation listed.

 

Bessie Wulburn was a Auxiliary Firewoman with Annie Wilkins (See Post 17). They stayed on alone at the AFS sub-station in Bush Road in Bermondsey after it had been set alight by incendary bombs and continued to relay messages and direct fire crews to where they were needed. When they were ordered to leave the premises they thumbed a lift to Deptford Fire Station, where they attended blind and burned firemen who were laid out on the floor awaiting ambulances.

Gazette:

Annie Matilda Wilkins, Auxiliary, Women's Auxiliary Fire Service, London.

Bessie Constance Wulbern, Auxiliary, Women's Auxiliary Fire Service, London.

These women were alone in a sub-station while the immediate neighbourhood was being subjected to a most intensive bombing. Throughout they received and transmitted all their messages absolutely correctly, and reporting crews were sent to their correct fires with accuracy and despatch. When the station was struck by incendiary bombs and set on fire they reported this occurrence by telephone to the local station, and remained at their posts until the officer in charge arrived and ordered them to leave the station.