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Leslie Crofts - George Medal - 1940 Blitz Bravery


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Four Sheffield men and two Royal Army Service Corps men were awarded the George Medal in 1941, for heroism during the Sheffield Blitz in December 1940. The George Medal had been instituted by King George V1 on 24 September 1940, equating civilian acts of bravery with those of the armed forces.
There has been little recognition of these six brave men since the award of their medals, partly because of their own modesty.  However I think that with the approach of the 80th anniverary of the Sheffield Blitz, it's time to celebrate these men. Some have them are mentioned in books, notably Margaret Drinkall's " Story of Sheffield at War - M Drinkall, Paul Licence's 'Sheffield Blitz' and the Star and Telegraph's 1948 publication Sheffield at War but even then gaps and major errors exist.  I have tried to gather whatever I could for each of these men - I think they deserve a thread each on this site - and hopefully others will be able to add further knowledge.

Leslie Crofts was born on 14th September 1908, the son of George and Mary Jane Crofts - George was a coal miner of Lovetot Road.  Leslie had attended the Woodbourne Road Council School before becoming an air-raid warden in September 1938. In 1938 he was married to Susannah (her maiden name was also Crofts) and in 1940 they had a 1-year-old daughter, Jessie. He worked at the Nunnery Colliery yard.

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The 32 year old Leslie Crofts was living at 106 Cottingham street in 1939, though reports state he was inhabiting 22 Coleridge Road, Attercliffe, which was the family house of his in-laws, Sam and Margaret Crofts, who had lived there since the mid '30s.

In his capacity as an A.R.P. Warden, Leslie was sent to Staniforth Road after reports that a number of civilians had been trapped in a cellar. There he found a bomb crater of almost 30ft in diameter, under which a fractured gas main was ablaze. Defying the flames and digging with his bare hands, Crofts made a tunnel into the cellar large enough to allow three injured people to escape from the debris. He made sure they were safe before returning to the hole where he managed to attend to another two injured persons. Considerable care had to be taken as the debris could have collapsed at any time, burying the trapped victims and Crofts himself.  All the time the rescue was being made, enemy bombers, using the blazing crater as a beacon, were dropping bombs nearby. Two police officers were quickly on the scene and helped in the rescue. They spoke highly of Crofts’ bravery in the face of fire, bombs and the possibility of being buried alive.


Leslie was awarded a George Medal in March 1941 and was interviewed by a local reporter. He said that when the raid started he was working as a shunter in the yard of Nunnery Colliery. When the bombs started to fall he went to see if the wardens needed any help. He told the reporter: ‘I found there were things wanted doing so I buckled to, but I did no more than my duty. I only did what any other warden would do and I regard the award of the George Medal as a tribute to them also, as they all played their part.’

From the Yorkshire Post 8th March 1941:
"Mr Croft escaped the embarrassment of being congratulated by his many friends by going to bed. In the district where he lives he is referred to as " the unknown hero", for after doing his heroic work he disappeared without leaving any clue as to his identity. His wife Susannah said: "I am proud of him. He is shy, and does not want any publicity. He only did his duty. When he came home after the Blitz he never said a word about what he did. His face was bleeding and his  trousers were nearly torn off. Our own house was practically wrecked."
A neighbour said: "We are glad he has been honoured, but we think some attempt might be made to provide him with another home."

 

 

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