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Claydon, Harold Frederick

Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Police Sergeant
Unit:
Liverpool Police Force, British Police Forces, Home Office, British Government
Awarded on:
June 3rd, 1941
On 13 March 1941 a parachute mine fell on tenements in Adlington Street. Sergeant Claydon attended and organised the search and rescue work and the digging of a tunnel.

"Bombs demolished houses and several people were trapped. Sergeant Claydon tunnelled twenty feet through the debris and rescued two women. He then shored up the tunnel with wood and masonry and, after strenuous efforts, succeeded in releasing another woman who was buried beneath rubble. The sergeant, owing to his exertions in a gas-laden atmosphere, was overcome and had to rest. He recovered and, though warned of the danger from gas, returned to the tunnel and continued his rescue work. A large piece of wood was wedged blocking the passage. Claydon obtained a saw, crawled into the space again, and, lying on his stomach, sawed through the block of wood and was able to release two casualties. Removing more debris he freed a child and a man and cleared a space so that others could effect the rescue of those remaining. Claydon showed exceptional courage in extremely dangerous circumstances and by his efforts ten persons were rescued."
George Medal

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