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Auction: 13002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 25

The Unique 1946 'Anti-Terrorist' King David Hotel Bomb Attack G.M. Group of Four to Sergeant E.A. Smith, Palestine Police; Who Rushed to the Scene of the Attack Immediately After the 770lb Bomb Had Exploded; He Initiated Rescue Operations and After 6 Hours Solid of Tunnelling Through Tonnes of Rubble and Debris He Secured the Rescue of 3 Seriously Injured Soldiers. 91 People Were Killed in the Attack, With 46 Injured. After 3 Days of Continuous Work Only 6 Survivors Were Pulled From the Rubble
a) George Medal, G.VI.R. (Sgt. Edward S.[sic] Smith, Palestine Police)
b) General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., two clasps, Palestine, Palestine 1945-48 (1316 Const. E.A. Smith. Pal. Police), minor edge nicks
c) Defence and War Medals, generally very fine or better, mounted as originally worn, with a photographic image of recipient, several newspaper cuttings and an original copy of The West London Press (Chelsea, Westminster and Pimlico News), dated 24.1.1947 (4)

G.M. London Gazette 21.1.1947 Edward Alfred Smith, Sergeant, Palestine Police Force
'On July 22nd, 1946, Jewish terrorists attacked the Secretariat and Force Headquarters situated at the King David Hotel, Jerusalem and by means of high explosives completely destroyed part of the building. At the time of the explosion Sergeant Smith was off duty but he immediately turned out all the available personnel and at once initiated rescue work. With assistance he made a hole in the debris large enough to insert himself in a prone position and in this manner tunnelled his way into the wreckage until he reached three soldiers who were seriously injured. Smith spent 6 hours under the debris in an atmosphere choked with dust and explosive fumes before he succeeded in extricating the three men. There was a real and constant danger of further explosions, of fire and of the collapse of the tunnel. Throughout his ordeal Smith displayed courage of the highest order with complete disregard of his own safety.'

1316 Sergeant Edward Alfred Smith, G.M., 'born 44 years ago [1903] at Ballymena, Co. Antrim. His father was Irish, his mother Australian. For 12 years he served in the Regular Army. On the Rhine he met his Dutch-born wife, and married in 1933. In 1937 he left the Army and went into coal mining. But a coal slump was on, so he turned to the Palestine Police... he was turned down. Too short; chest not big enough, they said... Sergeant Smith appealed to Sir Charles Augustus Tegart, then advisor to the Government on Police Organisation in Palestine [of Tegart Fort fame - many of these Police Fortresses, although built in 1938, are still in service use in Palestine today]. For Mrs. Smith was Sir Charles's housekeeper.
"I promise to do well, sir, if I am accepted," said Sergeant Smith.
In 1938 he went to Palestine, a member of the force. Early last year [1946] Sergeant Smith wrote to his wife:
"Tell Sir Charles I was promoted Sergeant today... still trying." (Newspaper cutting included with the lot refers)

The King David Hotel
During the afternoon of the 22nd July 1946 an attack was carried out on the King David Hotel, Jerusalem. The attack was perpetrated by the Zionist underground movement the Irgun. The southern wing of the hotel was principally occupied by the central offices of the Secretariat of the Government of Palestine and the Headquarters of the British Forces in Palestine. A 770lb bomb was placed by the terrorists in the basement underneath the southern wing of the hotel. The explosion occurred shortly after half past twelve that afternoon, and caused half of the southern wing to collapse. Smith, who was off duty but in the vicinity, rushed to initiate rescue work, "I just started digging, and kept on digging until I got them out" (Newspaper cutting refers). After 6 hours solid of tunnelling he managed to extricate 3 seriously injured soldiers.
Only 6 survivors in total were rescued from the rubble. The Royal Engineers, using heavy equipment, removed 2,000 lorry loads of rubble over the course of three days. As a result of the terrorist attack 91 people were killed, and 46 injured.

Smith was presented with his George Medal by Nicol Gray, the Inspector General of Palestine Police, at a ceremony in Jerusalem, January 1947, 'everyone knew "Ted" Smith in the Stanley Arms, World's End, just before the War. When he left to join the Palestine Police they lost one of their best darts men. But "Ted" meant to make good at other things... And this week it was announced he had been awarded the George Medal' (Newspaper cutting refers).

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Sold for
£9,000