63-682: Henry George Blogg GC BEM (6 February 1876 – 13 June 1954) was a lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk , England, and the most decorated in Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) history. Blogg of the Cromer Lifeboat Station is referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen". From the rescue of the crew of the Pyrin and then of half of the crew of the Fernebo in 1917, through to his near drowning in
126-584: A ceremony at Hillsborough Castle , County Down , attended by the senior RUC officers; the cross was accepted by Constable Paul Slaine, who had lost both legs in a 1992 IRA attack . The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 gave effect to much of the Patten Report, with "the Police Service of Northern Ireland (incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary)" established on 4 November 2001. The RUC
189-805: A new mark of honour for men and women in all walks of civilian life. I propose to give my name to this new distinction, which will consist of the George Cross, which will rank next to the Victoria Cross, and the George Medal for wider distribution. The medal was designed by Percy Metcalfe . The Warrant for the GC (along with that of the George Medal), dated 24 September 1940, was published in The London Gazette on 31 January 1941. The King in his speech announcing
252-429: A popular holiday resort, he also ran a deckchair and beach hut hire business. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century lifeboats around the coast of Britain relied on the strength of the oarsmen and the power of the wind. The Cromer boat was launched from an open beach, and judgement and determination were the prime requirements of the coxswain. In the early hours of a fierce January morning in 1917
315-451: A ship's boat. As they reached the edge of the breakers onto the beach, their boat capsized. Teams of men, grasping each other's arms, had walked into the water, and they were able to help the men from the boat, and aid them ashore. Meanwhile, the lifeboat was rehoused on its trailer and was pushed again into the breakers, to launch to the other half of the Fernebo . The ferocity of the sea threw
378-413: Is in the district of North Norfolk . Happisburgh electoral ward includes the parishes of Happisburgh, Lessingham , East Ruston , Ingham , Honing and Brunstead . The ward boundaries were altered for the 2019 elections. The previous ward had a population of 2,386 in 1,085 households. In 1086, the incoming Norman aristocracy had a simple church built on the site of the current tall stone one. It
441-528: Is often referred to as "RUC GC"; the 2000 act established a registered charity "to be known as 'The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation' for the purpose of marking the sacrifices and honouring the achievements of the Royal Ulster Constabulary"; other instances include the names of the RUC GC Widows' Association, RUC GC Historical Society, and RUCGC–PSNI Benevolent Fund. On 5 July 2021, on
504-476: Is the oldest evidence of human occupation anywhere in the UK. In May 2013, a series of early human footprints were discovered on the beach at the site, providing direct evidence of early human activity at the site. Land in the area has been lost to the sea for thousands of years. The civil parish shrank by over 0.2 km (50 acres) in the 20th century by the erosion of its beaches and low cliffs. The rate of erosion
567-527: Is the only independently operated lighthouse in Great Britain and is the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia having been constructed in 1790. It is open to the public on occasional Sundays during the summer. In 1866, the first lifeboat house was built, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), on the cliffs above Old Cart Gap at a cost of £189. Its building here was prompted by its proximity to
630-402: Is the same as it has been for the past 5,000 years. In 1968, groynes were constructed along the shore to try to slow the erosion. In the 2001 census , before the separation of Walcott parish to the north-west, the parish (which also includes the settlements of Happisburgh Common and Whimpwell Green) had a population of 1,372 in 607 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish
693-561: Is unlawful in Malta to use the George Cross, an imitation of it or the words George Cross for the purposes of trade or business without the Prime Minister 's authorisation. Happisburgh Happisburgh ( / ˈ h eɪ z b ʌr ə , - b ər ə / ) is a village civil parish in the English county of Norfolk . The village is on the coast, to the east of a north–south road,
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#1732898424595756-695: Is won. The cross and the messages are today in the War Museum in Fort Saint Elmo , Valletta . The fortitude of the population under sustained enemy air raids, and a naval blockade which almost saw them starved into submission, won widespread admiration in Britain and other Allied nations. Eric Grove argued on the BBC in 2017 that the George Cross was awarded as a propaganda gesture and consequently 'the island of Malta could not be allowed to fall as Singapore had done. Indeed,
819-568: The B1159 from Bacton on the coast to Stalham . It is a nucleated village . The nearest substantial town is North Walsham 6 miles (10 km) to the west. The place-name 'Happisburgh' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Hapesburc . The name means 'Hæp's fort or fortified place'. Happisburgh became a site of national archaeological importance in 2010 when almost 800,000 years old flint tools were unearthed. This
882-587: The British honours system , the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been equal in stature to the Victoria Cross , the highest military award for valour. It is awarded "for acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger", not in the presence of the enemy, to members of the British armed forces and to British civilians. Posthumous awards have been allowed since it
945-647: The Cabinet Office considers cases of military and civilian gallantry. The committee has no formal terms of reference. Since its inception in 1940, the GC has been awarded 416 times: 401 to men, 12 to women, and three times collectively, to the Island of Malta , the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the National Health Service (NHS). There have been 165 original awards including those to Malta,
1008-592: The New Zealand Cross replaced the role of the George Cross. Up until then, the last George Cross awarded to a New Zealander, was posthumously awarded to Sgt Stewart Guthrie of the New Zealand Police for his actions and bravery during the Aramoana massacre . Holders of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross are entitled to an annuity , the amount of which is determined by the awarding government. As of 2015 ,
1071-581: The 69 holders of the Albert Medal and 70 holders of the Edward Medal eligible to exchange, 49 and 59 respectively took up the option. The GC, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in recognition of: acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger. The award is for civilians but also for military personnel whose actions would not normally be eligible to receive military awards, such as gallantry not in
1134-569: The 73rd anniversary of the founding of the NHS of the UK, Queen Elizabeth II announced in a personal handwritten message that the four NHS organisations of the United Kingdom would be awarded the George Cross. It was reported that the award was recommended by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. The conferral of the award followed an 18-month period in which the health service had been at the forefront of
1197-675: The Canadian Cross of Valour instead. The George Cross was awarded to 23 Australians, 11 to the Australian forces and 12 to civilians. It is the highest decoration of the Australian honours system after the British Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for Australia . Although Australia established the Cross of Valour within the Australian honours system in 1975 'for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril' it
1260-533: The Cromer lifeboat was launched to aid a vessel just in sight off Cromer, the Pyrin . The Cromer men rowed their boat through the breakers, succeeding in coming alongside the stricken vessel, and taking off her crew. They rowed back to Cromer. As they reached the beach the Swedish vessel the Fernebo struck a naval mine and was blown in half. The two-halves drifted towards the beach. From one half, about 16 men set out in
1323-565: The Cromer lifeboat. He first went to sea as a lifeboatman in 1894 in the rowing lifeboat Benjamin Bond Cabbell and then served in the Louisa Heartwell as second coxswain under Jimmy 'Buttons' Harrison. When coxswain Harrison retired in 1909 due to ill health, Blogg won the vote to take on the leadership role. Away from lifeboat duties, Blogg was foremost a crab fisherman but Cromer being
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#17328984245951386-542: The EGM were required to exchange their insignia for the GC, most receiving their replacement GC at a formal investiture. The four honorary EGM awards to foreigners were not exchanged and could therefore continue to be worn. In 1971, surviving recipients of the Albert Medal and the Edward Medal (EM) became George Cross recipients, but unlike the EGM exchange of insignia, they had the option of retaining their original insignia. Of
1449-544: The Empire Gallantry Medal whose awards in four cases were gazetted after the start of the Second World War and whose awards were also exchanged for the GC. All the other exchange recipients were living as of the date of the decisions for the exchanges. Dominic Troulan represented recipients at the 2023 Coronation . The George Cross has been awarded to the island of Malta, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and
1512-677: The GC (in 1978) was Constable Michael Kenneth Pratt of the Victoria Police, Melbourne , for arresting two armed bank robbers in June 1976. For 39 years until the award to Dominic Troulon in 2017, Pratt was the most recent living civilian George Cross recipient. A memorial to Australian recipients, George Cross Park, was opened in Canberra , the Australian capital, on 4 April 2001 by the Governor General of Australia , Sir William Deane . In 1999,
1575-537: The Insignia of all British Orders of Chivalry. When the Cross is worn by a woman, it may be worn on the left shoulder, suspended from a ribbon fashioned into a bow. In June 1941 the specification of the ribbon width was amended to one and a half inches. Bars can be awarded for further acts of bravery meriting the GC, although none have yet been awarded. In common with the Victoria Cross, in undress uniform or on occasions when
1638-594: The National Health Service of the United Kingdom. The GC was awarded to the island of Malta in a letter dated 15 April 1942 from King George VI to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie : To honour her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history. The Governor answered: By God's help Malta will not weaken but will endure until victory
1701-608: The North African campaign was being fought in 1942 as much to sustain Malta as vice versa.' The George Cross was incorporated into the Flag of Malta in 1943 and, since independence in 1964, remains on the flag. The GC was awarded to the RUC in 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II following the advice of the first Blair ministry . The citation published by Buckingham Palace on 23 November 1999 stated: For
1764-406: The RUC and the NHS, including 106 made before 1947. About 30% of the 162 original awards to individuals have been to civilians. There have been 251 exchange awards, 112 to Empire Gallantry Medal recipients, 69 to Albert Medal recipients and 70 to Edward Medal recipients. Of the 162 individuals who received original awards, 86 have been posthumous. In addition, there were five posthumous recipients of
1827-737: The Victoria Cross for Australia and the British Victoria Cross is included in s.103 of the Veterans' Entitlement Act and is presently $ A4,447 per year. Although there is not a statutory instrument for the payment of the George Cross annuity, both annuities for the Australian Cross of Valour and George Cross match the Victoria Cross Allowance payment. Since 1943, in accordance with the George Cross (Restriction of Use) Ordinance , it
1890-621: The annuity paid by the British government was £ 10,000. In Canada under the Gallantry Awards Order , members of the Canadian Forces , or people who joined the British forces before 31 March 1949 while domiciled in Canada or Newfoundland , receive $ 3,000 per year. Australia has been responsible for the payment of both the Victoria Cross Allowance and the George Cross annuity since the 1940s. The Victoria Cross Allowance which includes both
1953-510: The awards have been personally presented by the British monarch to recipients or, in the case of posthumous awards, to next of kin. The investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace . The George Cross was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI . At this time, shortly after the climax of the Battle of Britain and during the third week of the Blitz , there was a strong desire to reward
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2016-520: The boat back onto the beach. The crew needed to recarriage the boat and try again at least three times. It was not until midnight, under the light of searchlights from the clifftop, that the lifeboat finally reached the stricken half-vessel and took off its crew. Blogg had led his men for nearly 24 hours of heroic effort. In 1924 Blogg was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal by the King. In 1927, Blogg
2079-407: The churchyard. In 1940, a German bomber released a trapped bomb from its bays during its return to Germany, and some shrapnel from the bomb can still be seen embedded in the aisle pillars of the church. The church's octagonal font, also of the 15th century, is carved with figures of lions and satyrs . The red-and-white striped lighthouse , 0.5 miles (800 m) to the south of the church,
2142-669: The course of the rescue of survivors of the wreck of the SS ; English Trader in 1941, he was awarded the gold medal of the RNLI three times and the silver medal four times, the George Cross , the British Empire Medal , and a series of other awards. Born the son of Ellen Blogg, one of the children of Thomas Blogg, a Cromer fisherman. Blogg was brought up in the family of James Davies (whose son John became Henry's stepfather after John Davies married Ellen Blogg in 1881), himself coxswain of
2205-719: The escapees. Courage of a different sort was displayed by two prisoners of war who endured terrible suffering. Captain Lionel Colin Matthews was eventually executed by his captors for building a resistance network in British North Borneo in the Second World War, while Private Horace William Madden , captured in Korea in 1951, died of privations while assisting fellow prisoners and openly resisting enemy efforts to force him to collaborate. The last Australian to be awarded
2268-545: The extremely dangerous role of mine disposal during the Second World War . Privates Benjamin Gower Hardy and Ralph Jones were posthumously awarded the George Cross for manning a Vickers machine gun during the Cowra breakout , a mass escape by Japanese prisoners of war in central New South Wales on 5 August 1944. Hardy and Jones disabled the weapon and denied its use to the escaping prisoners before they were overwhelmed and killed by
2331-467: The face of the enemy. The Warrant states: The Cross is intended primarily for civilians and award in Our military services is to be confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted. The Cross shall be worn by recipients on the left breast suspended from a ribbon one and a quarter inches in width, of dark blue, that it shall be worn immediately after the Victoria Cross and in front of
2394-414: The face of threats to them and their families. As Northern Ireland reaches a turning point in its political development this award is made to recognise the collective courage and dedication to duty of all of those who have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and who have accepted the danger and stress this has brought to them and to their families. The Queen presented the George Cross on 12 April 2000 in
2457-469: The fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the UK . The message read: It is with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that I award the George Cross to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom. This award recognises all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations. Over more than seven decades, and especially in recent times, you have supported
2520-580: The finds at Pakefield . The flints were probably left by hunter-gatherers of the human species Homo antecessor who inhabited the flood plains and marshlands that bordered an ancient course of the river Thames . The flints were then washed downriver and came to rest at the Happisburgh site. In May 2013, the Happisburgh footprints , the oldest human footprints found outside of Africa, being more than 800,000 years old, were reported to have been discovered on
2583-443: The interior timber fittings and in particular the complicated timber roof structure. It is mainly a grade II listed (starting category) listed park and garden , having been designed as an Arts and Crafts movement garden by Detmar Blow to accompany the butterfly-plan summer home for wealthy landowner Albemarle Cator, seated at Woodbastwick Hall , Woodbastwick , who decided to build homes or gatehouses for his family. The north end of
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2646-407: The largest, his home, was destroyed by a bomb, and was restored by Christobel Tabor (née Cator) after the war. The Cators sold the site in 1969, at which time the three houses of St John's, St Anne's and St Mary's came into separate ownership. The restored main home is Grade II* listed, which is the middle category. Land has been lost to the sea at Happisburgh for thousands of years. More recently,
2709-515: The lifeboat was damaged and the no. 2 boat was required to help. In 1941 he was awarded the BEM . At around the same time it was announced that the Empire Gallantry Medal he was awarded in 1924 was to be substituted with the George Cross which he was awarded in October that year. The call out to the SS English Trader in 1941, aground on Hammond's Knoll off Happisburgh , nearly led to disaster when
2772-492: The many acts of civilian courage. The existing awards open to civilians were not judged suitable to meet the new situation, therefore it was decided to institute the George Cross and the George Medal to recognise civilian gallantry in the face of enemy action, and brave deeds more generally. Announcing the new award, the King said: In order that they should be worthily and promptly recognised, I have decided to create, at once,
2835-544: The medal ribbon alone is worn, a miniature replica of the cross is affixed to the centre of the ribbon, a distinction peculiar to these two premier awards for bravery. In the event of a second award, a second replica would be worn on the ribbon. Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters GC. All original individual GC awards and the latest collective award to the National Health Service have been published in The London Gazette . The George Cross Committee of
2898-462: The motor lifeboat H. F. Bailey rolled onto her side, throwing five of her crew in the water. Blogg was one of them. Still on board, crewman William H. Davies grasped the wheel and steered the lifeboat towards the men in the water. One by one they were picked up. Signalman Walter Allen would not survive long; his heart was failing. Blogg turned the lifeboat from the English Trader and headed for
2961-457: The museum is the first purpose-built RNLI museum to be opened since the Grace Darling museum opened in 1938. On 15 April 2008, the museum was successful in bidding for two watches that had been awarded to Blogg. George Cross The George Cross ( GC ) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In
3024-410: The names Whimpwell Street and Whimpwell Green in Happisburgh are all that remains of the ancient Happisburgh parish of Whimpwell, lost to the sea only by 1183. As an even more recent example, in 1845, a 12-acre (5 ha) plot of Happisburgh disappeared in a single night. The coastal part of the village is subject to frequent coastal erosion : houses that in 1998 had been over 20 feet (6 m) from
3087-571: The nearest harbour at Great Yarmouth . At 3 a.m. the next morning, Blogg awoke his crew, ready to try again. They slipped from the wartime harbour and were soon back at the sands. The sea had abated, and forty-four men on the English Trader , who had not expected to live through the night, were saved. Henry was given the RNLI Silver medal for that rescue, the rest of the crew receiving Bronzes, Walter Allen posthumously. When Henry Blogg retired in 1947, after 53 years service and at age 71, 11 years past
3150-409: The new award, stated that it would rank next to the Victoria Cross. This was second on the Order of Wear, much higher than the then existing awards for bravery not in the presence of the enemy, the highest being the two-class Albert Medal (AM); and the lowest being the single class Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM). In a substitution of awards unprecedented in the history of British decorations, holders of
3213-434: The past 30 years, the Royal Ulster Constabulary has been the bulwark against, and the main target of, a sustained and brutal terrorism campaign. The Force has suffered heavily in protecting both sides of the community from danger—302 officers have been killed in the line of duty and thousands more injured, many seriously. Many officers have been ostracised by their own community and others have been forced to leave their homes in
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#17328984245953276-430: The people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication, demonstrating the highest standards of public service. You have our enduring thanks and heartfelt appreciation. Elizabeth R. There have been 10 GCs awarded to Canadians including those by substitution for awards superseded by the GC. The recipients comprised nine men and one woman. The GC is no longer awarded to Canadians by the King of Canada , who awards
3339-426: The sea now sit at the edge of a cliff and are expected to fall into the sea. Sea defences were built in 1959 to slow the erosion. Changes in government policy mean that coastal protection in Happisburgh is no longer fundable from central government. Beach Road that leads into the sea is being constantly eroded, and the houses nearest the sea were demolished in 2012 as a part of a coast management scheme. Initiatives in
3402-540: The town to adapt to climate change and sea level rise have included a government-funded relocation scheme for owners of threatened homes. In 2023, there were plans to move inland a car park —built with reusable materials for this purpose— that risked falling into the cliff. In 2010, Simon Parfitt and colleagues from University College London discovered flint tools near Happisburgh. The tools were dated to "somewhere between 866,000 to 814,000 years ago or 970,000 to 936,000 years ago", around 100,000 years earlier than
3465-448: The treacherous Haisborough Sands . It closed in 1926 and the lifeboat was withdrawn. A small boathouse was built in a similar site ( 52°49′28″N 1°32′10″E / 52.824326°N 1.536101°E / 52.824326; 1.536101 ) in 1965 to house a D-class inshore lifeboat that went into service in June of that year. In 1987, the boathouse was replaced by a new, more modern building with better facilities for crews. This
3528-448: The usual retiring date, the new lifeboat at Cromer was named after him. He had been coxswain for 38 years of his service during which he had launched 387 times and rescued 873 people. Henry Blogg's nephew Henry "Shrimp" Davies took over as coxswain of the Cromer Lifeboat. A museum dedicated to the memory of Henry Blogg – "the greatest of the lifeboatmen" – opened in 2006. Unveiled by Ronnie Corbett who started his stage career in Cromer,
3591-418: Was awarded a gold watch and his crew a silver watch each after a rescue on the Haisborough Sands . He received a Silver Medal from the RNLI in 1932 for rescuing 30 men and a dog from the steamer Monte Nevoso aground on the Haisborough Sands. The Canine Defence League awarded him its own silver medal. In October 1939 the lifeboat went to the aid of SS Mount Ida . During the long night-time rescue
3654-410: Was demolished and rebuilt in the 15th century. The tall tower of St Mary's church is an important landmark to mariners , as it warns of the position of the treacherous nearby sandbanks . A new staircase was added to the top of the tower in 2001, in memory of the Happisburgh schoolboy Thomas Marshall, who was murdered in nearby Eccles on Sea in 1997. There is also a plaque to his memory; he is buried in
3717-412: Was further extended in 1998. A new D-class lifeboat, Colin Martin , was placed on service on 13 September 1994. In December 2002, the lifeboat launching ramp was washed away due to massive erosion. A temporary station was opened within three months at Old Cart Gap. The original station is now used for training and souvenir sales. On 22 October 2003, a new D-class lifeboat D-607 Spirit of Berkhamsted
3780-423: Was instituted. It was previously awarded to residents of Commonwealth countries (and in one case to Malta , a colony that subsequently became a Commonwealth country), most of which have since established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians including police, emergency services and merchant seamen. Many of
3843-411: Was not until 1992 that Australia officially ceased recommending British honours. During the period 1975 to 1992, the last George Cross to an Australian was awarded in 1978. Of the 23 awards, 14 were direct awards and nine were Empire Gallantry Medal (two), Albert Medal (six) and Edward Medal (one) exchange awards. Four awards were to officers of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve who served in
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#17328984245953906-428: Was placed on service. The station has been honoured with an RNLI Silver Medal , awarded in 1886 to Coxswain John Cannon in acknowledgment of his long and valuable service. The main land use is a private garden to the homes here, forming an ornate 19th-century estate on the site of fields until the middle of that century. The estate is central and towards the coast from the kinked village street. The main house which
3969-436: Was thatched from local reeds was worked up by Detmar Blow from an initial detailed design by Ernest Gimson with whom Blow had collaborated at Stoneywell . Blow was responsible for practical architectural changes to the initial design and overall architectural management of the build during the period 1900–1902 with his 'leading man' Frank Green from East Knowle supervising on the spot. It is pretty certain that Gimson supplied
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