Hall of Fame
Ten extraordinary people who – through acts big and small – contributed to the ongoing war effort
GEORGE ARTHUR ROBERTS
George Arthur Roberts arrived in Britain and joined the army around 1914, fighting in World War I. In the years between the two wars, Roberts became a founding member of the League of Coloured Peoples, an influential civil rights organisation. In 1938 he joined the Auxiliary Fire Service (the first black man to do so) and throughout World War II he bravely tackled the fires of the Blitz. In 1943 George was made the leading fireman and in 1944 received the British Empire Medal.
Lieutenant Ernest Gidden
Although a member of the armed forces, Ernest Gidden was in London when he carried out the act of bravery that earned him the George Cross. During the war the German Air Force dropped parachute mines, highly explosive devices, over London. On the morning of 17 April 1941 Lieutenant Ernest Gidden received word from his superior that one of these devices had fallen on Hungerford Bridge in London and fused itself to the main railway line. He gently manoeuvred the device so that the mechanism was facing him and managed to move it to a safe position so that it could be deactivated.
Elizabeth Anne Everitt
In 1944, Elizabeth Anne Everitt was a recently widowed single mother, living in Saffron Walden, Essex. On the night of 27 May, a bomber took off from the US Air Force base at Little Walden, but quickly ran into trouble. The plane crashed into a field near Everitt’s home and she ran out, desperately attempting to rescue the crew from the craft as it burst into f lames. However, unbeknownst to Everitt, the aircraft was loaded with bombs and as she tried to rescue the crew two of them detonated, killing her. Everitt’s bravery was posthumously recognised and her four-year-old son Anthony was presented with her award.
BETTY MCINTOSH
In 1943, Betty McIntosh was a successful journalist. However, she soon found herself hired, along with a slew of other journalists and media professionals, by the OSS – the Office of Strategic Services. This secret organisation was the United States espionage arm during World War II, and Betty was employed to spread ‘black propaganda’ – disinformation aimed to impact the morale of Japanese troops. From within the United States, Betty and her compatriots carried out vital war work.
George Walters
George Walters
