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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 572

A fine Second World War 'G.C. action' B.E.M. pair awarded to War Reserve Constable R. V. 'Sandy' Holyhead, 'B' (Chelsea) Division, Metropolitan Police, for his gallantry in the following a devastating flying bomb attack on the King's Road, Chelsea, 23 February 1944

British Empire Medal (Civil) G.VI.R (Rodney Victor Holyhead); Defence Medal 1939-45, good very fine, with original investiture pin and riband for the B.E.M. (2)

1 G.C., 1 M.B.E., 2 G.M.'s and 4 B.E.M.'s (Civil) awarded for this action.

B.E.M. London Gazette 30 May 1944. Jointly with Sub-Divisional Inspector William James Tribe, 'B' Division, Metropolitan Police:

'During an air raid, a bomb made a deep crater which extended across the roadway and fractured a water main, sewer and a gas main. Water from the broken pipes flooded the crater, overflowed on to the
roadway and filled the cellars of the adjoining houses.

People were trapped in a building and Inspector Tribe tried to reach them but found his way blocked by debris.

Inspector Tribe and Constable Holyhead
then forced their way through the flood water and entered the adjoining house. Holyhead climbed through a first floor window and along a narrow ledge, about ten inches wide, and entered the damaged house. He discovered two women and a man on the ground floor and, realising the
impossibility of taking the victims back the way he had come, sought an alternative way out. Meanwhile the Inspector made the perilous journey along the narrow ledge and joined the Constable.

Tribe and Holyhead then carried the two women and piloted the man through the
garden, which was flooded to a depth of four feet, and over the walls to safety. Immediately afterwards Inspector Tribe, in spite of his wet condition, went to another incident. Holyhead returned to the house to put out a fire in the grate of an upstairs room to obviate danger from escaping gas.

He then helped in the general police work. Inspector Tribe and Constable Holyhead showed courage and great devotion to duty. In addition to the hazard of crossing a narrow ledge the officers were exposed to the grave risk of the whole structure collapsing under their weight and of being projected into the water-filled crater.'

Rodney Victor 'Sandy' Holyhead was born on 14 November 1907 at Barnes, London and educated at Latymer Foundation School, Hammersmith and Archbishop Tenison's Grammar, Leicester Square, 1920-25. Having worked in advertising with McCann-Erickson, he served as a War Reserve Constable with 'B' (Chelsea) Division, Metropolitan Police from 2 September 1939-31 December 1945. During this period he saw the extent of the Blitz and latterly Flying Bomb attacks upon the city. It was for his gallantry in Chelsea on the night of 23 Febraury which he was awarded the B.E.M., on the same occasion Anthony Smith, Civil Defence won the George Cross for his part in the rescue work. He received his Medal at Buckinham Palace on 28 November 1944.

Holyhead subsequently returned to advertising and rose to become Media Manager at McCann-Erickson, leading the launch of the famous 'Put a tiger in your tank' campaign for Esso. He died in Maidstone in 1980.

Sold together with a comprehensive original archive comprising Metropolitan Police cap badge, whistle by The Acme City, London, letters of congratulation related to the award, London Gazette featuring B.E.M., a quantity of newspaper cuttings, press photographs from later life, including a copy of Advertiser's Weekly, 7 July 1955, which features an article on the recipient, together with copied research and recommendations.

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Sold for
£1,000