The extremely rare inter-war 1932 Empire Gallantry Medal pair awarded to Eric Watt 'Jock'...

The extremely rare inter-war 1932 Empire Gallantry Medal pair awarded to Eric Watt ‘Jock’ Bonar, Chief Pilot of Northern Air Transport Limited and Flight Sergeant, Royal Air Force Reserve, for carrying out the rescue of a R.A.F. pilot from a crashed Siskin - in the face of flames 30 feet high, and with cries of “For God’s sake save me Jock, save me” ringing in his ears. Bonar dragged the pilot free from the burning wreckage in Barton airport, Manchester, but despite his best efforts, the pilot succumbed to the severity of his burns two weeks later. A veteran of the Royal Navy during the Great War, a post-war friend of Lawrence of Arabia, and an extremely skilful pilot - Bonar ‘had been flying since God was a boy.’ Pre-Second World War Bonar was employed as a development pilot for the Merlin Engine - which was to power Hurricanes and Spitfires, amongst others. Continuing in the same vein, Bonar was granted an Honorary Commission in the R.A.F.V.R. in 1940 and was employed as Chief Test Pilot for Napier - testing the Sabre Engine for Typhoons and Tempests. In the latter capacity he received the George Cross, but was unable to return his E.G.M. due to using it to settle an outstanding bill at a garage! Empire Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., Civil Division (Flt. Sergt. Eric Watt Bonar, R.A.F.R.); Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, 5th type, bronze (Eric Bonar, Barton Airport. 24-5-32.) fitted with silver straight bar suspension, and contemporary silver riband buckle, mounted on card for display, very fine (2) £5,000-£7,000 --- A total of 130 Empire Gallantry Medals were awarded in the period 1922-40, 62 Military, 64 Civil, and 4 Honorary awards. The Empire Gallantry Medal was superseded by the George Cross in September 1940 and surviving holders of the E.G.M. were required to exchange their award for the George Cross. E.G.M. London Gazette 5 August 1932: ‘For an act of conspicuous courage in rescuing the pilot of a burning aeroplane of the Royal Air Force at Barton in May last. Under the protection of an asbestos blanket he unfastened the straps binding the pilot, released him from his parachute harness, and with assistance dragged him from the burning wreckage. He gave first aid to the airman, who was then conveyed to hospital but died about a fortnight later.’ Eric Watt ‘Jock’ Bonar was born in Edinburgh in 1899, and after school was apprenticed to Scottish Commer Cars - makers of petrol engine lorries. He volunteered during the Great War for service with the 7th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders whilst only aged 16. Bonar’s mother informed the Army that he was underage, and he was forced to return to his apprenticeship. When he was old enough he joined the Royal Navy and served in minesweepers as part of the Dover Patrol (entitled to the British War and Victory Medals). Having advanced to Petty Officer, Bonar was demobilised in 1919. After a brief foray into a motor cycle business in Glasgow, he decided to enlist in the Royal Air Force as a fitter: ‘He managed to secure a place on an NCO pilot course as a leading aircraftsman, and was befriended by a fellow-ranker with an interest in motorcycling - T. E. Shaw, the former Lawrence of Arabia. Bonar was duly posted as a fighter pilot to 25 Squadron as its first NCO pilot, and was selected for the Gloster Grebes’ aerobatic display team. At one display King George V ordered the team by radio telephone to loop the loop, and afterwards Bonar was presented to the King, who was flabbergasted to find an NCO pilot among the officers. When he was offered the choice between a permanent commission and an instructor’s course at the Central Flying School, he opted for the course and in 1929 left the Service at the end of a seven year engagement. His civil aviation career began as a joyride pilot giving flips round Blackpool Tower, and he became an established figure on the flying circus circuit.... A former sergeant pilot in the R.A.F., in 1932 he was chief flying instructor at Barton aerodrome, when Sgt Treadgold, an old friend still serving in the R.A.F., rolled a Siskin over the airfield at low altitude... (Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 5 March 1991 refers) Further detail as to what happened next is provided by an article written by John Wilson in The Life Saving Awards Research Society Journal, No. 73 (compiled from various newspaper coverage of the incident at the time, including the Daily Express, 25 May 1932): ‘At 14.10 on the afternoon of 24th May 1932, No. 341550, Sergeant Jack Treadwell, R.A.F. together with No. 560860, Leading Aircraftsman William Patrick Lane, R.A.F., No. 5 Training School took off from Sealand, Flintshire in a Siskin aircraft on a training flight. All was well until 14.35 when they were flying over Barton airfield near Manchester, where the airport staff assumed that he was coming in to land. However, the pilot attempted a roll manoeuvre at low altitude but upon reaching the top of the roll the plane stalled, and with insufficient height to recover the aircraft crashed behind a mound in a field near the airport’s perimeter, turned a somersault and caught fire. Jock Bonar was seated in the aerodrome’s fire engine at the time and saw the crash. The fire engine and crew were on duty so were immediately able to speed off to the scene of the crash. At the same time, airport officials who had seen the plane stall, were quick to contact the ambulance. Meanwhile, Police Constable Herbert Hayes, who was on motor cycle patrol near Barton Airport, also saw the airplane crash in flames and he drove his motor cycle across the aerodrome to a fence, and then climbed over and ran to the crash scene. The flames were 30 feet high, but Constable Hayes found Flight Sergeant Treadwell strapped in the rear cockpit surrounded by flames. He immediately began to unstrap him from the seat, when Eric Bonar arrived with an asbestos blanket, which afforded him some protection from the flames. Despite his terrible burns Treadwell was able to recognise Bonar’s voice and cried out, “For God’s sake save me Jock, save me”. With the fire crew and others spraying the flames with fire extinguishers, Bonar was quickly able to cut the remaining straps and Bonar and Hayes then pulled Sergeant Treadwell from the wreckage and into the arms of the bystanders. Doctors were on the scene within minutes and Sergeant Treadwall was rushed to hospital. The Eccles Fire Brigade too were quickly on the scene and put out the fire. LAC William Lane was not so fortunate. He was in the front of the plane and such was the damage that it wasn’t possible to reach him and attempt a rescue. Bonar said that when he first went to the plane it was obvious to him that Lane was already dead, most likely having been killed on impact. His body had to be cut out of the wreckage when the fire had been extinguished. Treadwell was taken by ambulance to the Eccles and Patricroft Hospital where he was treated for serious burns to the face and was in severe shock... At first it was thought that he would survive his terrible burns injuries, and on one occasion he was able to make a statement regarding the accident. However, his condition gradually worsened and he died two weeks after the crash.’ For their bravery during the above incident, Bonar was awarded the E.G.M. and Police Constable Hayes was awarded the K.P.M. They were both also awarded the bronze medal of the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire (the rescue recorded in the Minutes Book No. 7, and Annual Report for 1933). Two years after the above incident took place: ‘Bonar tried to take part...