Aust. Historical Medals

Lot 4170    Session 14 (4.30pm Thursday 20th November)    Aust. Historical Medals

Estimate $5,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $11,000

TRIO FOR COURAGE AT MASCOT AIR CRASH RESCUE ATTEMPT: George Medal (GVIR Indiae Imp) (Civil); Royal Shipwreck Relief Humane Society Gold Medal (9ct); Order of St John Bronze Life-Saving Medal. Gordon W. Knowles on first medal, Gordon William Knowles for Conspicuous Courage 19th July 1945 on second medal, Gordon Knowles. 1945. on last medal. All medals engraved. Good very fine - good extremely fine and very rare.

GM: LG 19/2/1946; CAG 39 28/2/1946, p489, presented by the Governor-General at Government House, Sydney on 11/9/1947.

Citation: Courage when aircraft crashed near Mascot 19/7/1945.

'On the evening of the 19th July 1945, a Liberator with a compliment of twelve, including senior Royal Naval Officers, crashed a short distance from Mascot drome, immediately after take off.

The fuselage came to rest beneath a viaduct over Muddy Creek and burst into flames. Blazing petrol spread over the water in which the wreck was partially submerged - entirely surrounding it with an area of fire.

Mr. Knowles who lives nearby rushed to the scene of the crash and, unaided extricated one body from the wreckage and with some assistance extricated two more. After removing the third body, Knowles was in such an exhausted condition as a result of burns, immersion and carbon monoxide poisoning that he collapsed.

The courage and utter disregard of personal safety displayed by Mr. Gordon Knowles is deserving of the highest praise.'

The condition of Mr. Gordon Knowles, 25, who made an heroic attempt to rescue some of the crew and passengers from the blazing plane is still serious. He is suffering from burns and shock.

The Commander-in-Chief of the British Pacific Fleet (Admiral) Sir Bruce Fraser sent the following letter to Mr. Knowles.

'Besides the crew, the aircraft carried a number of Royal Navy men who were personally known to me and I want to thank you on behalf of the Royal Navy in the Pacific for your very gallant action and disregard of your own personal safety.'

Royal Shipwreck Relief Humane Society of N.S.W. citation:

'On 19th July 1945, after an R.A.F. transport plane crashed into a muddy creek, near Mascot Airport, at night, Mr. Knowles made heroic attempts to rescue some of the passengers and crew.

Regardless of his personal safety, repeatedly entered and dived into the Petrol-Flaming water in his brave efforts to reach the victims of the tragic accident.

Mr. Knowles was later taken to hospital suffering from shocks and burns.'

Bronze Medals of the Society were presented to Charles Snook, James Ivey, and Edward Beatty, who showed outstanding courage at the same tragedy.

St John Bronze Life-Saving Medal citation:

Gordon Knowles (Sydney, N.S.W., Brigade Overseas), for endeavouring to save the crew of a R.A.F. aeroplane which had crashed at Sydney. All the men were burnt to death and Knowles was badly injured.'

(Note: Gordon Knowles was a member of St George Volunteer Motor Transport Ambulance).

A newspaper account of the incident went into more detail when it reported as follows;

'Twelve men were killed when an RAF Transport Command plane crashed into a concrete bridge spanning Cooks River North, Brighton, early this evening. Up to a late hour eleven of the bodies had been recovered. A terrific explosion shook the neighbourhood when the plane struck the bridge. Residents two miles away said houses trembled and doors and windows rattled. Some eye witnesses said that the plane exploded in mid-air, but generally it was thought the explosion occurred when the craft first struck a clump of trees, the tops of which were cut as though by a knife.

The tragedy occurred in the midst of a vast expanse of parkland. Immediately it crashed, the plane burst into flame, and the wreckage burned for several hours Great clouds of smoke brightly tinted by the flames belched upward from the river. The tragedy was marked by heroic efforts of a civilian and a fireman who were among the first to arrive and who made valiant efforts to bring bodies to the bank of the river. The civilian was Gordon Knowles of Arncliffe.

Risking his life, he crawled along a girder of the bridge and plunged into the river when he saw the body of one of the victims. While he was doing this, a flare from the wreckage exploded and he was struck on the head by the missile. He gamely stuck to his task however, and brought the body ashore. With the assistance of a fireman and two other civilians he succeeded in bringing two other bodies to the bank of the river. The wreckage was burning fiercely and the heat was terrific. The glow in the sky from the fire could be seen for many miles. Knowles gave up his heroic efforts only when he fell exhausted and had suffered poisoning from carbon monoxide fumes.'