N o ta b l e R e g i m e n ta l S o l d i e r s
N o ta b l e R e g i m e n ta l S o l d i e r s
Private Robert SPOORS GC 1st Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Own) 31st May 1935 NO KNOWN IMAGE GC awarded for bravery on 31st May 1935 at Quetta “After the earthquake at Quetta on the morning of 31st May 1935, Private Spoors, at very considerable risk to himself from falling debris, entered an army officer’s house which was in a dangerous condition. He was successful in clearing a path for the officer’s wife and was mainly responsible for saving her life. He then re-entered the house to save the nurse and baby, but was himself caught in the debris and was later rescued by two other men and brought out in an exhausted condition. He subsequently worked for many hours at the British Military Hospital. Private Spoors was awarded the Albert Medal for his actions.”
took place during the night of 31st May–1st June). Private Elston’s personal example and bravery were most meritorious.”
Private Ernest Matthew ELSTON GC 1st Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Own) 31st May 1935 NO KNOWN IMAGE GC awarded on 31st May 1935 in connection with his rescue work in Quetta, Baluchistan, India “Private Elston worked with untiring energy at rescue work and in the subsequent salvage operations 31st May-14 June 1935. He was personally responsible for saving the lives of several Indians buried under the debris in Quetta City; and on more than one occasion voluntarily endangered his own life to effect a rescue. On 31st May 1935, regardless of his own safety, he worked at great personal risk for four hours to effect the rescue of an Indian child entombed alive under a collapsed double storey building. In order to reach the child he had heard crying, it was necessary to make a tunnel underneath the wreckage which was in a most unsafe condition. The dead bodies of other members of the family were encountered embedded in the debris; it was impracticable to extricate these, but the child was brought out unscathed. (The remains of this building did actually collapse in consequence of the shocks that 324
Private Thomas McAVOY GC 1st Battalion, The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire) 15th March 1939 GC awarded for bravery at Jinsafut Camp, Palestine on 15th March 1939 “Private McAvoy was amongst those endeavouring to put out the flames of a burning truck at Jinsafut Camp, Palestine. He was working beside the nearest petrol tank, which was alight. To relieve the pressure in the petrol tank and to save a possible explosion, Private McAvoy took up a pickaxe and pierced the petrol tank without any thought for his own safety, though he must have been aware of the appalling risk he was taking. The jet of burning petrol which immediately rushed out caused him to be badly burned.” Corporal Thomas ATKINSON GC 1st Battalion, The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire) 15th March 1939 GC awarded for bravery at Jinsafut Camp, Palestine on 15th March 1939 “On 15th March 1935, Corporal Atkinson was in charge of the mechanical transport when a truck caught fire at Jinsafut Camp, Palestine. He organised the removal of the remainder of the mechanical transport to a point clear of the burning truck. Without his initiative and energy in rallying the drivers and assisting them to move their trucks out of danger, the remainder of the transport would have caught fire as well and a general conflagration throughout the camp would have been inevitable. Corporal Atkinson was subsequently indefatigable in his efforts to 325
