Press cuttings and letters relating to Mr Cyril Bax of Swainby, Margate Road, Ramsgate, a GPO lineman.
These papers refer to his award of the King's Commendation for Bravery, for courage and devotion to duty in restoring vital telecommunication equipment at RAF Manston, while under fire.
These papers refer to his award of the King's Commendation for Bravery, for courage and devotion to duty in restoring vital telecommunication equipment at RAF Manston, while under fire.
The incident took place during August 1940 (possibly the 24th) and is modestly described by Mr Bax as follows:
"Soon after lunch the inspector called for volunteers to go to the aerodrome to restore communications and I considered it my duty to go.
Bombs were still falling when we arrived but we just got on with the job. We had to work in a bomb crater part of the time and a number of bombs where we were working subsequently went off. We did not think about the danger. Communications had to be restored and all we did was our duty."
Mr Bax's award was gazetted on the 22nd October 1940, together with those of his colleagues, Inspector William Goodwin of Herne Bay and GPO Lineman Arthur Shepherd of Adelaide Villa, Park Lane, Birchington.
The other letters from 1941 relate to Mr Bax being awarded the British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) for an incident on the night of the 12th / 13th August, 1941 in the town of Ramsgate. Again he volunteered with Messrs Shepherd and Goodwin to repair damaged telephone lines and a telegraph pole, with a 1000kg delayed-action bomb only some eleven feet away. This award was recorded in the London Gazette dated 31st October, 1941.
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"Soon after lunch the inspector called for volunteers to go to the aerodrome to restore communications and I considered it my duty to go.
Bombs were still falling when we arrived but we just got on with the job. We had to work in a bomb crater part of the time and a number of bombs where we were working subsequently went off. We did not think about the danger. Communications had to be restored and all we did was our duty."
Mr Bax's award was gazetted on the 22nd October 1940, together with those of his colleagues, Inspector William Goodwin of Herne Bay and GPO Lineman Arthur Shepherd of Adelaide Villa, Park Lane, Birchington.
The other letters from 1941 relate to Mr Bax being awarded the British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) for an incident on the night of the 12th / 13th August, 1941 in the town of Ramsgate. Again he volunteered with Messrs Shepherd and Goodwin to repair damaged telephone lines and a telegraph pole, with a 1000kg delayed-action bomb only some eleven feet away. This award was recorded in the London Gazette dated 31st October, 1941.
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