Charles Taylor - George Medal - 1940 Blitz Bravery

[Edmund]

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.

Charles Taylor was born in Sheffield on 15th January 1883. Following the loss of his first wife he re-married Beatrice Wright, also widowed, on 24th October 1936 at St Bartholomews, Langsett Road. In 1940 he was a 56 year old gas-valve man, working for the Sheffield and District Gas Company and living at 5 Greaves Street, Walkley.

In January 1941 he was awarded the George Medal, the first Sheffield man to receive the honour. 

From the London Gazette 28th January 1941:
"When some works were first sprayed with incendiary bombs and later bombed with high explosives, all employees showed most commendable coolness and devotion to duty, not hesitating to brave danger in order to save the works.  With assistance, Charles Taylor put out incendiary bombs at the rear of the water gas oil tank, and one in the roadway outside the works.  Then he noticed an incendiary bomb on the crown of a Gasholder. He climbed up 45 feet to get on the crown and found that the bomb had punctured the sheeting and gas was burning at the hole. Going down again for assistance he returned and almost extinguished the flame with clay.  As the clay supply was exhausted, Taylor went down again for more and this third time was successful in putting out the blaze. Taylor then put out another incendiary bomb.  After this he found that the crown of another holder was punctured by an incendiary bomb and the gas issuing from the hole was on fire.  This crown was 60 feet from ground level, but, with help, he was able to extinguish the fire and plug the hole. His courage, devotion to duty and leadership were outstanding."   So intent were Taylor and his helpers on the task of saving the gasworks that they failed to notice that they were being machine gunned by an enemy plane.

Charles was deaf for the rest of his life, caused by the events of that raid.  He later recalled: "What I did was part of my job. But I want to pay warm tribute to the bravery of those who helped me. I should have gone off duty at 9.15pm but decided to stay on after my relief arrived. First of all, we put out three incendiary bombs at the rear of an oil tank. Then we saw an incendiary fall on top of a gasholder. I climbed up and found that the bomb had punctured the sheeting and gas was burning at the hole. I went down for assistance and took two me with me with a quantity of clay to stop up the hole. Climbing the ladder was not easy because I had an eight foot long shovel and had to pull myself up one-handed. I was later told that one of the German planes was machine-gunning us while we were on top of the gasholders and I think that must have been so because I found a leakage which was not alight"

Other workers assisting Mr Taylor were George Waller (age 46 of 42 Bamforth Street), a Mr. Plunkett, a Mr.Gregory and Joseph Oldfield (age 59 of 29 Burlington Street).

More details about that night are here: Neepsend Gas Works